Rebirth
by tlpg92
Summary: My name is Chigetsu Akako, and I am eight years old. I live at an orphanage in Iwagakure, but I'm not an orphan. My mother was a ninja, and one day, I'm going to run away from here. I'm going to become a ninja, and I'm going to find my father. AU, SasuOC
1. Chapter 1: Healing Hands

A/N: Hey guys! This isn't my first Naruto fanfic, but it's the first one I've decided to upload. Hope you like it =]

Rebirth

Part One: Discovery

Chapter 1: Healing Hands

My name is Chigetsu Akako, and I am eight years old.

I live at an orphanage in Iwagakure, but I'm not an orphan. My mother died two years ago. She was a ninja. She had nice brown eyes and brown hair, and I loved her. But she always seemed sad, and she wouldn't let me play with her things. She said being a ninja was dangerous, but I wanted to be just like her.

Ame took care of me when my mother went away. She always came back, but one day, she didn't. Everyone thought I was too little to understand, but I did. Mother had gone to a better place, and now Ame had to take me to my first day of school, instead.

"Why are we going to regular school, Ame-obaa?"

"Because you're a regular girl, Aki-chan."

"But Kaa-san was a ninja."

"Kaa-san told me to bring you to regular school."

"Why? I want to be a ninja, too!" I exclaimed.

"No, Aki-chan! It's too dangerous," she said, holding firmly onto my hand as I tried to pull away.

"But Tou-san was a ninja, too!"

"Who told you that?" she snapped.

"I heard Kaa-san telling someone. Did you ever meet him, Ame-obaa?"

"I did not," she said. She was still angry, so I didn't ask again.

I didn't think Ame was going to die, too. She fell trying to reach something and didn't get better. Her relatives argued a lot about me after she died. They said I was cursed. They said I was a burden. Ame's cousin's niece brought me to the orphanage when I was seven. She smiled and told me they were going to take care of me.

She lied.

Ame didn't like me very much, but she took care of me. The villagers say mean things to me, and so do the kids at the orphanage. They tell me my parents didn't want me. They say my mother was a disgrace—that even she didn't know my father's name, so she had to give me a made-up one. They say I have no family, that not even Ame's family wanted me because I was a girl.

One day, I'm going to run away from here. I'm going to become a ninja, and I'm going to find my father.

**-paragraph break-**

I don't like going to school. My classes are so boring, and I don't have any friends. I like to sneak to the ninja academy, instead. No one ever catches me, because I'm careful and hide myself. If I see their lights, I can stay away.

Today, I was sitting in a tree, watching them practice taijutsu. Sometimes, when I can't sleep, I'll practice, too. The nightmares are so scary, and the kids at the orphanage don't understand why I'm so noisy when I sleep.

It's because they're real orphans. Every night, my mother is in my dreams. I dream that they take her away. I dream that she leaves me. I dream that Ame leaves me, too. Sometimes, there's blood in my dreams.

I heard cheeping behind me, and I turned around to see where it was coming from. At the end of another branch, I saw a bird's nest with two chicks in it. One of them was close to the edge of the nest, trying to fly.

"Ganbare, tori-chan!" I said.

The little bird jumped, flapping its little wings. It went out of sight.

Something was wrong. I waited and didn't see it come back up. Jumping off my branch, I landed on the grass and went to the other side of the tree. I found the bird flopping around on the ground. Its wing was broken.

"Oh no!" I whispered.

Carefully, I picked up the bird. I was so scared it was going to die, I started to cry. I didn't want the other little bird to be alone. I didn't want its mother to be sad.

My hands became very warm. I was sweating because I was praying so hard. Then, my hands started to glow. I almost dropped the bird. My hands kept glowing. I could see the little bird's wing becoming straighter. When my hands stopped glowing, its wing was straight again. I unfolded and folded it just to make sure, amazed.

"Botan-sensei, there's a girl over here!"

Surprised, I screamed. No one has snuck up on me in a long time.

"Why aren't you in school, imouto-chan? Is that a bird you're holding?"

"I don't like school. I-I wanted to help tori-chan," I stuttered. I started crying again because I was afraid I was in trouble.

"Don't cry, you're not in trouble. I'm Botan-sensei. What's your name?"

"Aki-chan," I sniffled.

"What happened to tori-chan, Aki-chan?" he asked.

"Tori-chan's wing was broken," I said. The children's lights were so close and bright, I was distracted.

"So you were trying to help?"

"Yes," I said, suddenly dizzy.

**-paragraph break-**

When I woke up, I was in the hospital. I heard Botan's voice. He was talking to the caretaker at the orphanage. Getting up, I crept closer to the door and listened.

"She's suffering from chakra exhaustion, which is highly unusual given her age. I don't know how she could have healed that bird, not without intensive training. She certainly should not be going to regular school. With your permission, I'd like Aki-chan to enroll at the ninja academy."

"Aki-chan's guardian asked for her to be placed at a civilian school."

"Were her parents ninjas?"

"Her mother was Jishin Ishiko. Perhaps the name is familiar to you."

"I didn't know Ishiko-san had a daughter! I can see the resemblance now. Please, Aki-chan needs to enroll in the ninja academy. She has an amazing talent that should not be wasted."

I saw the caretaker frown and opened the door, afraid she was going to say no.

"I want to be a ninja! Kaa-san was a ninja, and Tou-san was, too!"

"Aki-chan, you shouldn't be up!"

"But I want to go to the Academy!" I insisted, as Botan took me by the arm.

"Aki-chan," the caretaker said, frowning.

"Please," I said, as I got back into bed, "I'll go to school every day!"

**-end of chapter-**

A/N: So, does Akako get to enroll in the Academy? Find out, you shall.


	2. Chapter 2: Seeing Red

A/N: This story is already finished, so it won't take into account the last Naruto movie. Updates will be up to twice a week, depending on how much editing I get done. Thanks for your patience =]

Rebirth

Part One: Discovery

Chapter Two: Seeing Red

My name is Chigetsu Akako, and I am ten years old.

I got my way and was enrolled in the ninja academy. Since I had spent so much time watching the students and training in secret, I was already very advanced. I spent only two years at the Academy, but I was able to make friends. I was surprised my classmates liked me.

I wish my mother was there to see me receive my hitai-ate. I think she would have been proud. No one came to my graduation.

I like my team. Yuumaru is loud, and Asahi is nice. Shigure cares about us a lot. He's a good teacher.

Today was supposed to be the day I went on my first C-rank mission, but it was cancelled. Instead, my team and I were waiting outside the Tsuchikage Tower for instructions.

"What's going on, Shigure-sensei?" Yuumaru asked.

"There is an emissary from Konoha here."

"Again?" Asahi asked.

"Why is Konoha having so many problems?" I grumbled. "Can't they take care of themselves?"

"Don't be insensitive, Akako-chan," Shigure admonished. "These are troubled times."

The other cells around us were just as confused as we were, but after a few more minutes, the elderly Tsuchikage appeared.

"Listen!" he said. "You must all be ready to fight and defend the village at a moment's notice! War is upon us, due to the actions of Akatsuki."

I was shocked. I don't understand much of village politics, but I knew that this was huge. Akatsuki had taken and killed our jinchuuriki, and now it wanted to declare war? Everyone was talking. Many of our sensei had fought in the Third Shinobi War, and everyone knew someone who had fought or died in it.

"What's going to happen now, Shigure-sensei?" I asked, as he led us away from the crowd.

"We train," he said grimly. "Asahi-kun, if I am called into combat, promise me you'll take care of Yuu-kun and Akako-chan."

"Yes, Shigure-sensei," Asahi murmured. He's the oldest in our cell, thirteen, and the most mature. Yuumaru is the strongest, and I'm the fastest.

A few days later, Shigure was called into combat. The Fourth Shinobi War was about to begin.

**-paragraph break-**

Asahi, Yuumaru, and I spent the next few weeks furiously training, trying to fill in the holes left by all the jounin and chuunin who were leaving the village to fight. My skills in iryou ninjutsu were still underdeveloped; there was no one in Iwagakure available to take me as an apprentice. Shigure told me in secret I would probably have to go to Konoha to complete my education.

Still, I was called to help at the hospital when the fighting began. The first day was a nightmare. I had never seen so much blood. Things were going badly in the Lightning Country. Even though we were far away from the fighting, all of us left behind could feel the unrest in the land. The amount of chakra produced by the hundreds of thousands of combatants fighting gave me headaches.

For once, I was exhausted enough to sleep through the night.

The next day was a little better. Our forces, led by Kitsuchi, were able to secure victory on their front, with the help of Uzumaki Naruto. Everyone was hopeful.

However, in the early evening, I fainted. The amount of chakra that suddenly exploded into being overwhelmed me. When I woke up, I saw the silhouette of a giant stem on the horizon and was filled with fear.

No one was there to worry about me, so I got up and got myself a glass of water. Then, someone yelled for me to get more bandages.

"We need more reinforcements!"

I looked up from the intensive surgery I was assisting to see a chuunin burst into the room. He was bleeding badly from his left arm but did not seem to notice.

"It's a trap!" I shouted. The ninja's chakra felt alien, and it was definitely unfamiliar. Once I encounter someone's chakra signature, after a few seconds, I never forget it.

"No, listen to me!" the enemy ninja shouted, even as he pulled out his weapons and began stabbing people.

"Get him!" Yuumaru bellowed.

"No, Asahi-kun, Yuu-kun!" I shouted.

The enemy ninja was defeated, but at a terrible price. I watched with my own eyes as my two teammates were cut down. They fell down and did not get up again, and I knew they were dead.

I collapsed.

"How could this happen?" I cried.

Lifting my face to the sky, I saw the moon, bigger and more beautiful than I'd ever seen it. I saw a strange pattern appear on it, and I suddenly became very sleepy. As I closed my eyes for what I thought was the last time, I saw red.

**-end of chapter-**

A/N: I did much research on the Naruto Wikia to get the pacing and details of the Fourth Shinobi War down, but let me know if you see any discrepancies. Part One will end in one more chapter, then the real fun will begin!


	3. Chapter 3: Growing Closer

A/N: Hey guys! I did a few minor edits of the first two chapters, if you 'd like to give them another glance. This is the last chapter of part one, hope you like it =]

Rebirth

Part I: Discovery

Chapter 3: Growing Closer

My name is Uchiha Akako, and I am the last female of my clan.

Upon waking from the Infinite Tsukiyomi, I was so upset by what had happened, I almost died from chakra exhaustion. I had had the most wonderful dream. In it, I was with my mother and father, and I had siblings. When I opened my eyes, I started sobbing as reality hit me like a wave. I had no family. I had no team.

"Akako-chan, you must stop!"

"Deactivate your jutsu, or you'll die!"

"Then let me die!" I shouted. I wasn't sure what jutsu I was using, but it was taking the little bit of chakra I had left.

The two nurses trying to restrain me gasped and pulled back when I looked at them.

"It can't be!"

"She has the Sharingan!"

The Tsuchikage and Hokage argued for weeks over me. It reminded me of what happened four years ago, when Ame died. Except this time, I was wanted. I was valuable. People were also staring at me like I was a specimen under a microscope.

One of the first things I did as soon as I was able to walk was purchase a headpiece from the ninja supply shop. It had a single, dark lens that went over my eyes and was secured to my head with a strap. Even though the war was over and I knew that Sasuke had been vindicated from his crimes, I knew I was still in danger of being attacked simply for being an Uchiha. I had heard the stories about the massacre and how Sasuke had defected from his village.

My nightmares became much worse. Now, instead of just dreaming about my mother and Ame, the three other members of my cell were there, too. Over and over, I saw them die. Sometimes, I killed them. Sometimes, they killed each other. Always, I was left alone.

In the end, the Hokage won. My cell was dead—Shigure had been killed in battle. The Uchiha clan had to be rebuilt, and I should be free to return to my ancestral home. I was eleven years old, I was old enough to be on my own.

I met my new team, Cell Eight, two months after the war ended.

"Please introduce yourself."

"My name is Uchiha Akako."

If the two boys in my cell were surprised, they didn't show it. I could tell they were tougher than Yuumaru and Asahi had been. War changes everyone.

"What are your likes and dislikes, Akako-chan?" my sensei asked.

"I don't like or dislike anything," I said.

"What is your ambition?" he tried again.

At this, I sighed.

"My ambition is to find my family."

One of the boys, I think it was Hanemaru, sniffed.

"Ranko-chan was more fun," he muttered.

Cell Eight's female member had also been a healer—she'd been killed on the front lines.

Ouja spent our first meeting as a team testing us to see how we would work together. The boys, at first stiff in my presence, began to loosen up. I was fast compared to Asahi and Yuumaru, but I could barely keep up with Sango and Hanemaru. They'd been one of the best teams in their cohort, and by the end of our first week together, Hanemaru was teasing me mercilessly.

My time spent with Cell Ten had been spent honing my skills in doton, which I have a natural affinity to. Hanemaru found it amusing that his katon skills were much better than mine, but I'd been born in Earth Country, and I didn't know I was an Uchiha until a few months ago.

I was the youngest in my cell. Sango was the nicest, but he was still hard on me. Everyone was trying to teach me, to get me to catch up. I enjoyed it. It meant that they thought I was worth keeping.

"You need an apprenticeship, Akako-chan," Ouja said one day.

I paused in the middle of healing the burns on Hanemaru's face. Just now, I had managed to shape the earth into a funnel and blown his attack back into his face.

"Shigure-sensei," I winced as I said his name, "told me that I needed one, too."

"I shall put in an inquiry at the hospital immediately," he said. "You said you learned how to heal on your own?"

"Yes, Ouja-sensei."

"Impressive," he said. "In the meantime, you will learn katon from Hanemaru-kun."

"But Ouja-sensei, I'm not qualified enough," Hanemaru protested. He was arrogant, but he also knew his limitations well. I didn't know how he lived with himself.

"It can't be helped," Ouja replied. "We have no way of knowing when Sasuke-san will return from his journey."

"Alright then," Hanemaru said, grinning. "Uchiha, prepare to go down."

**-paragraph break-**

Even though the Hokage had given only a select few the knowledge that I was an Uchiha, everyone seemed to know I was one, anyways. People have varying reactions when they see me, but the most common one is confusion. Most days, I put on a henge just to get places. I have spent all my life being treated differently from everyone else, and I've gotten good at hiding.

It warmed my heart that Sango and Hanemaru wanted to be friends with me. They showed me around Konohagakure, told me the village's history, and introduced me to everyone they knew. All around me, I saw signs of lingering grief and was ashamed that I'd criticized Konoha not even six months before. So much had changed since then.

A war happened, my cell died, I found out I was an Uchiha, and I moved to Konoha. In one fell swoop, I had learned my paternal heritage and moved to the one country with medics qualified enough to give me an apprenticeship.

I met Uzumaki Naruto by accident one night while at Ichiraku. I had never lived alone before, and I disliked it. I also didn't know how to cook.

"Oi! So you're the other Uchiha!"

I tensed as Naruto sat down next to me. His chakra was so immense, I wondered how he didn't implode. It nearly blinded me with its intensity, and it was different colors, which I assumed was a side-effect of being a jinchuuriki.

"How could you tell, Uzumaki-san?" I had my headpiece on and my hood up.

"You sit the same way Sasuke does!" he said, grinning.

Naruto was not what I expected. I knew he was blond and loud, but I hadn't realized just how blond or how loud.

"How do you like Konoha, Uchiha-chan?"

"Akako," I said.

"Naruto!" he responded.

"It's fine," I said.

"How long have you been here?"

"Fifteen minutes," I said, confused.

"No, I meant how long have you been in Konoha, bu—IS THAT YOUR THIRD BOWL ALREADY?" he shouted, waving his arms. His right arm, which was holding his chopsticks, was covered in bandages.

"I overslept and didn't have breakfast," I said, shifting in place. "Or lunch."

**-end of chapter-**

A/N: And so Akako meets the first member of the golden trio. Who will she meet next? Find out, you shall.


	4. Chapter 4: Blooming Slowly

A/N: From here on out, the chapters get a little longer. Thanks for reading =]

Rebirth

Part Two: Growing Up

Chapter 4: Blooming Slowly

I got an apprenticeship with Haruno Sakura, the last apprentice of the Godaime Hokage and Sannin, Tsunade. I was not yet twelve, but Ouja insisted that my level of chakra manipulation was good enough to proceed.

"You remind me a little of when I was your age, Akako-chan," Sakura said, smiling. "You have so much potential just waiting to be discovered, except you were discovered sooner than I was."

She tested my abilities and was extremely impressed by what I'd been able to learn on my own.

"How did you find the time, Akako-chan? I had to train with Shishou for over a year before I could do half as much as you can now."

"I have insomnia," I said. Most nights, I go to the Hokage Mountain to watch the twinkling lights, above and below. Sometimes, I train there.

"Your chakra stores are modest, but they'll increase as you get older," Sakura said. "For now, I will teach you how to exert even greater control over your chakra flow. It's an extremely crucial skill to have when you're doing surgeries."

She also gave me a pile of scrolls on basic biology, anatomy, and medical history. I struggled to read them—the amount of jargon I had to learn was staggering.

Adding onto this, the chuunin exams were in six months. By now, Sango, Hanemaru, and I had developed a team fighting style that suited us, but soon Ouja was going to split us up for individual training.

Hanemaru specialized in genjutsu, so he was going to Kurenai. Sango was good at taijutsu, so he was training with Rock Lee. And I was still miserably inept at using my Sharingan, so Ouja got the Hokage himself to train me.

He was on time for our first meeting. I was surprised, because I had heard so many stories of how Kakashi was late to everything.

"Good morning, Akako-chan."

I hesitated, unsure how to address him. He was not wearing his Hokage robes.

"When we are training together, I am Kakashi-sensei. Understood?"

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei."

For several moments, he stared at me.

"I remember when I trained Sasuke-kun for his first chuunin exam," he said. "He was much the same way you are now."

"How so, Kakashi-sensei?"

"He was driven to prove himself."

I bowed my head. He was correct.

"You're our little miracle, Akako-chan," he said, as he began to lead me towards the training fields. The bridge creaked as we walked over it. "We had not dared hope that other Uchiha had survived the massacre, but it seems Itachi-kun was mistaken. Tell me, how did you end up in Konoha?"

"I was born in Earth Country," I said. "My mother was Jishin Ishiko. She was a ninja, and she died when I was six."

"I'm sorry for your loss," he said.

"I don't know how she met my father," I said, accepting his sympathy. "I don't even know his name. But I want to find the answers to my questions."

At this, I saw Kakashi's eyes crinkle. I think he was smiling.

"I wanted to be a ninja so badly, but my guardians wouldn't let me. I used to sneak to the ninja academy in Iwagakure instead of going to school. After I healed a bird with a broken wing, I convinced them to take me in."

"Remarkable," he said. Coming to a stop at the edge of a practice field, he turned to me with his Sharingan activated. "Now, let's see what you're made of."

**-paragraph break-**

At the end of my first training session with Kakashi, my whole body ached, but my eyes ached the most. He had pushed me to the edge of my limits, mental and physical. I left the field on shaking legs, my mind crammed full with fifteen new techniques to learn and execute perfectly by the end of the week.

"Your chakra control is very good, as expected," Kakashi said. "Sakura-chan has told me of your training with her. You're quite fast for your age, but not very strong. Also, Ouja-sensei told me you've been receiving remedial lessons in katon?"

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," I managed. I could hardly stand to move my feet.

"It's a pity Sasuke-kun isn't here," Kakashi sighed. "Even though I wield the Sharingan, there are clan techniques that only he can teach you."

"What is he like, Kakashi-sensei?" I asked. "People keep comparing me to him."

"What, Naruto hasn't talked your ear off about him yet?"

"No, we mostly eat when we see each other," I said, smiling at the last eating contest we'd had. I'd lost, but narrowly.

"Kakashi-sensei, what have you done to my student?" Sakura exclaimed. He'd walked me to my lesson with her, outside the hospital. "There's no way we can train today! And you're late!"

"But Sakura-chan, I really do have a good excuse this time. You see, I was taking a stroll down memory lane when—"

"Enough!" she snapped. "Go back to your job, old man."

"So disrespectful," Kakashi lamented. "I remember when you used to listen to my every word—"

"Shizune-sensei is throwing a fit right now because you're not at your meeting!"

"Oh yes, I'd forgotten about that….Well, I will see you at the end of the week, Akako-chan. Remember to do the new set of kata I taught you."

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei."

"Some things never change," Sakura grumbled, as she put her hands on my shoulders. "Where does it hurt, Akako-chan?"

"Everywhere," I groaned.

**-paragraph break-**

Today, Hanemaru and Sango showed up to training very excited.

"Did you hear, Akako-chan?"

"What is it?" I asked, getting up from my back bend. I had been warming up for the past fifteen minutes.

"We're going on our first C-rank mission together!" Hanemaru punched the air.

"Really?" I asked.

"Good morning, team," Ouja said, appearing in a puff of smoke a few minutes later.

"Is it true, Ouja-sensei?" I asked, as Sango and Hanemaru jumped up and down. I'd never seen them act like this, not even around girls.

"Yes. And calm down, you two." Unrolling the scroll in his hand, Ouja skimmed it for a few moments before re-rolling it.

"What is it?" Sango asked.

"The daimyou is coming for a visit," he said, "and he wants an escort."

"Lame!" Hanemaru said. "He's just some old guy who sits in his castle all day."

"Don't be disrespectful," Ouja chided him. "The daimyou will be on the panel of judges during the chuunin exams."

"Is that what he's coming here for?" I asked.

"Yes, Akako-chan. We will be leaving tonight, so go get ready. We will meet in front of the gates at sundown."

I prepared my things with a heavy heart. Two years ago, I would have gone on my first C-rank mission with Asahi, Yuumaru, and Shigure. Since arriving in Konoha, I had gone on a few D-rank missions, but my cell members and I had agreed that getting to know each other better and training for the chuunin exams were more important.

Since he'd starting training with Kurenai, Hanemaru had gotten even more cunning, a trait he was endlessly proud of. He sometimes tried pranking Sango and me with the genjutsu he'd learned, which didn't often succeed because we knew to watch out for them. With my Sharingan activated, I was also getting better at seeing them.

Sango's training with Rock Lee gave him muscles of steel and self-control that rarely wavered nowadays. I went running with him once and gave up after about twenty laps up and down the Hokage Mountain. I occasionally sat on him, practicing hand seals while he did pushups.

My training with Sakura and Kakashi had strengthened my body and mind beyond anything I had expected. The amount of time I spent healing injuries had halved; I had numerous burns and cuts on my fingertips as evidence. Additionally, I had amassed over thirty new techniques. They were mostly doton and suiton-related, though I had added a few katon, fuuton, and raiton techniques to my arsenal, also.

All in all, the three of us were confident we could take this mission.

We traveled two days to reach the daimyou's estate. It was my first time out of Konoha since I'd arrived, unless you counted my occasional visits into the forest to train.

Sango and Hanemaru were like children, running through the trees and bouncing off branches. Ouja humored them, so I did, too.

The daimyou himself was a thin man who did not impress me.

"So you are Uchiha Akako-chan?" he inquired, looking at me.

"Yes, Daimyou-sama," I said, schooling my expression.

"So young," he said, "and yet the future of the Uchiha clan rests on your and Sasuke-kun's shoulders."

The trip back to Konohagakure took almost four days because the Daimyou had brought a carriage and his own bodyguards with him. The three of us spent most of our time hunting each other and for dinner in the trees while Ouja played politics.

"Thank you for seeing me safely to Konohagakure, Ouja-san. Akako-chan, Sango-kun, Hanemaru-kun, good luck on the chuunin exams. I look forward to seeing you compete."

**-end of chapter-**

A/N: Next up, Akako ends up housing a surprise guest *wiggles eyebrows*


	5. Chapter 5: First Steps

A/N: Hi guys! Nothing much to say here, enjoy the chapter =]

Rebirth

Part Two: Growing Up

Chapter 5: First Steps

Sasuke returned to Konohagakure in the middle of the night.

As usual, I couldn't sleep, so I was in a field by my apartment building, doing target practice. I felt a flare of chakra appear in front of the gates and didn't recognize it, but it was huge. Few people have chakra stores anywhere close to Naruto's, so I concluded that it was Sasuke's. Curious to see my cousin for the first time, I dropped what I was doing and started forward.

The first thing that struck me was how very tired he looked, even though I could only see half his face. The second was that he was bleeding quite a lot.

"Sasuke-nii!" I exclaimed, taking his right arm and slinging it over my shoulder. He must have been near exhaustion, because he didn't flinch or pull away from me. Instead, he grunted and started towards the Hokage Tower. It didn't take much to hold him in place and run a quick scan on him, instead.

"Akako-san," one of the guards said to me, "Uchiha-san needs medical attention."

"I have him," I said, "please call Sakura-sensei and Hokage-sama."

"You need to go to the hospital, Sasuke-nii," I said, guiding him forward. He had four broken ribs—it was a miracle one of his lungs wasn't punctured. I also noticed, with a chill, that he was missing his left forearm.

"Who are you?" he mumbled, slumping even more onto my shoulder.

"Uchiha…Akako," I panted. Belatedly, I realized I could flood my limbs with chakra to make it easier to support him. Instantly, Sasuke felt lighter.

"Uchiha?" he said. He seemed a bit more alert now.

Half-dragging him to the hospital, I managed to get him settled into a room. The good thing about working there on the weekends is that I can go in and out with little suspicion. I took Sasuke through a back door and disguised the two of us with a genjutsu, just in case someone nosy was on duty.

Sakura showed up five minutes later, still in her pajamas.

"Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed.

"Sakura," he said.

I'd started an IV drip and healed most of his surficial wounds, but I didn't want to set his ribs without assistance.

"Sakura-sensei, he has broken ribs, and I'm afraid to set them," I said.

"Well then this is a perfect opportunity for you to learn, Akako-chan."

I tried not to notice the way Sakura was looking at him or how her lip was trembling. She must have missed him a lot in order to be this emotional.

Twenty minutes later, Kakashi arrived. His shirt was on backwards.

"Sasuke-kun is back?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," I said, wiping the sweat from my brow. Sakura and I had knocked Sasuke out in order to heal his ribs, but he would wake up soon. It was almost five in the morning.

"How did he get in?" Kakashi asked, sitting down.

"I found him," I said. It was difficult, trying to heal Sasuke and talk at the same time.

"How did you recognize him, Akako-chan?" Sakura asked, surprised.

"I didn't," I said, after a short pause, "but his chakra was so huge, who else could he be?"

"Why was he injured?"

"He said he was attacked."

At this, Kakashi paled.

"He'll wake up soon, then he can tell us himself," Sakura said. Her forehead was furrowed with worry.

"Go home, Akako-chan," Kakashi said, when Sakura and I had finished healing Sasuke. "You look dead on your feet."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

**-paragraph break-**

I got maybe an hour of sleep before showing up for training.

"Akako-chan, you look like you're still sleeping," Sango said, frowning.

"How can you tell?" Hanemaru quipped. "You can't even see her eyes!"

"Shut up," I responded.

Just as Ouja was about to begin our training session, Sakura showed up.

"I'm sorry Ouja-sensei," she said, "but Akako-chan has to come with me today. There's a surgery she must see."

"If you must," he replied.

"What's happening, Sakura-sensei?" I asked, as we ran to the hospital.

"Do you know the first thing Sasuke-kun said when he woke up?"

"What?"

"He said he wanted his arm. Shishou checked to see if he was strong enough to undergo surgery today, and he is."

"I get to watch?" I asked, feeling my excitement grow.

"Yes. This will be a very good experience for you, Akako-chan. Shishou, Shizune-sensei, and I will be doing the surgery. You will watch."

Sasuke's surgery lasted five hours. Tsunade used a high-resolution magnifying glass to connect the vessels, muscles, and nerves of his new left arm. Shizune and Sakura switched between assisting and checking Sasuke's vital signs.

My feet were crying for a chair when at last the surgery was finished. The smell of blood and sweat filled the air.

"We did it, Shishou," Sakura said. Her face was pink.

"Hopefully, this'll be the last time I'll ever have to do a surgery like this," Tsunade replied, retying her hair.

"I need to get back to the Hokage Tower now," Shizune sighed, "but it was a pleasure working with you, as always."

"He really works you hard, doesn't he?" Tsunade asked.

Shizune grimaced.

"Akako-chan, you can bring Sasuke-kun to his room," Sakura said. "Monitor him for the next three hours to make sure he suffers no adverse side effects. He should wake up in about half an hour."

"Yes, Sakura-sensei."

**-paragraph break-**

True to Sakura's prediction, Sasuke woke up twenty minutes after his surgery ended. His chakra was flickering softly, but other than that, he gave no indication he was awake. I guessed he was simply taking in his surroundings. After several minutes of lying still, he opened his eyes.

"How do you feel, Sasuke-nii?"

"Fine," he grunted.

I ran a general scan on him, just to make sure.

"Do not try to move your arm," I said, gesturing to the sling across his chest. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Water," he said. His mismatched eyes watched my every move.

He took the glass from my hand and drank deeply before handing it back.

"Would you like anything else, Sasuke-nii?" I asked.

"Don't call me that," he snapped.

"But we're related," I said, frowning.

"Who were your parents?"

"My mother was Jishin Ishiko," I said. "She was from Earth Country."

"Who was your father?" he asked, mirroring my frown.

"I don't know."

Sasuke looked at me for a few moments, his eyes narrowed. I felt his chakra gather and knew that he was about to activate his Sharingan.

"Don't do that!" I exclaimed, rapping his leg. He flinched as his concentration was broken.

"What was that for?" he growled. I think he was trying to scare me, but it didn't work. I've had a lot of experience with difficult patients.

"Your chakra stores are low right now, Sasuke-nii," I said, as I turned around to make some tea. "You should not activate your doujutsu."

"How did you know I was about to?" he asked.

"I sensed it," I replied, as I filled the teapot.

I could feel his stare drilling holes into my back as I left to boil the water.

**-end of chapter-**

A/N: The last bit of this chapter was tricky to write because I wanted to keep Sasuke at least somewhat in character, let me know if otherwise. Next up, the chuunin exams!


	6. Chapter 6: Journeying

A/N: Hi guys! I don't want to be THAT author, so I'll only ask once (maybe twice) for feedback on this fic. I can't read your minds, ya know? So please review constructively =]

Rebirth

Part Two: Growing Up

Chapter 6: Journeying

"Sasuke-kun, you can't! The chuunin exams are in less than two weeks, there's no way you'll be healed enough to fight, much less use your arm for normal tasks!"

"You can't stop me, Sakura."

I walked into Sasuke's room to find him on his feet, arguing with Sakura. Even though he was quite a bit taller than she was, she was staring him down. He was still in his hospital gown.

"Look at you!" she half-whispered. "How can you take the chuunin exams the way you are now? You don't even have a place to stay!"

At this, Sasuke turned to look at me.

"I'm staying at your place."

"You can't just impose on Akako-chan, she has duties, too!"

"It's okay, Sakura-sensei," I said, nonplussed. "Sasuke-nii can stay with me. I can oversee his physical therapy more easily this way."

Sakura looked like she was going to argue further, but instead she stormed out.

"You should apologize to Sakura-sensei later, Sasuke-nii," I said. "She was really worried about you."

Sasuke grunted as I led him back to the bed.

"Are you really planning on taking the chuunin exams?"

"Aa," he replied. "I've already told Kakashi."

"But—"

"I could pass with one arm tied behind my back," he snapped, "and I will."

I decided not to argue with him and instead began to mentally reorganize my apartment to accommodate him.

Abruptly, he said, "I need clothes."

"I could go buy you some, Sasuke-nii," I said.

"No," he said, "go place an order at the clothing shop."

He listed his measurements, which I wrote down on a slip of paper.

"Order some things for yourself, also."

"But Sasuke—"

"You're an Uchiha," he snapped. "You need to look like one."

**-paragraph break-**

I took Sasuke home the next day, during my lunch break. He was dressed in a dark shirt and pants that Naruto had lent him. The shirt was too small, and the girls and kunoichi we passed voiced their appreciation none too quietly.

It occurred to me that Sasuke was very good-looking, and seeing us go home together, the villagers might think something more was going on between us despite our age difference. I mentally shook my head at this line of reasoning.

"You can take my bed, Sasuke-san," I said, when we reached my small apartment.

He grunted before dropping his small bundle of things by my couch.

"No, Sasuke-nii," I said, pushing his uninjured shoulder. "You've just had major surgery."

He shrugged my hand off and sat down. Huffing, I set about making a cup of tea for him.

"Naruto-san is coming over to—"

"Akako-chan, it's time to go—TEME!" Naruto shouted, as he barged through the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm staying here," Sasuke said stonily.

"Then be nice to Akako-chan!" Naruto said, recovering quickly. "She's Sakura-chan's apprentice now, so you better watch out!"

"Shut up, usurakontachi," Sasuke replied, taking a sip of his tea.

"Come eat lunch with us, Sasuke-nii," I said, after the pair had spent a few more moments bickering.

"I'd rather not."

"You'll miss our eating contest, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted.

"I'd really rather not," he deadpanned.

**-paragraph break-**

A few days after Sasuke left the hospital, he showed up to my training session with Kakashi. He was dressed in loose pants and one of his new shirts. My shirt was new, too. It had the Uchiha crest on both sleeves.

"Go back to your office, Kakashi."

"Sasuke-kun, what's this?"

"I'll oversee her training now."

"Well then, I guess it's for the best," the Hokage said, scratching the back of his head. "It seems I have a free afternoon now."

No wonder he'd acquiesced so quickly. From the corner of my eye, I saw Kakashi pull out his orange book and saunter away.

I waited politely for Sasuke to warm up. Even though he'd been bed-ridden for almost a week, he moved just fine; his physical therapy was going well. He must have been adjusting his movements to avoid jostling his left arm, but I could tell that he was much, much faster and more powerful than I was. I could hardly believe I was related to him.

"Spar with me," he commanded, settling into a battle-ready stance. His Sharingan activated the same time mine did.

Sasuke thrashed me, as was expected. The most I could do was go on the defensive and try to avoid the worst of his blows. From there, he made me demonstrate all but the most powerful of my techniques. He then tested my reflexes and endurance with a series of grueling exercises.

After two hours, he had hardly broken a sweat. I couldn't get enough air. The training field was wrecked. It looked like a giant badger had torn through it.

"I will teach you the Goukakyuu no Jutsu tomorrow."

"Yes, Sasuke-nii," I gasped. Rolling onto my hands and knees, I formed a few hand seals and rearranged the field as best I could. I noticed that Sasuke's Sharingan was still activated, and I knew he was memorizing my technique.

We walked back to my apartment. I frowned the whole way because the villagers weren't being discreet about their Uchiha-related gossip. I wondered why Sasuke wanted to walk instead of flash-stepping, but when I glanced at him, his expression was unreadable.

When we got back, I let Sasuke have the shower, first. I sat on the floor and chugged a glass of water before using the little chakra I had left to sooth my muscles and do a few more stretches.

He came out a few minutes after I'd finished and took my glass off the floor. As I left to go shower myself, I heard him fill it.

**-paragraph break-**

The next morning, I was just about to leave for training when Sasuke stopped me.

"Take that thing off your head," he growled, plucking my headpiece from my hair.

"Itai, Sasuke-nii! What was that for?"

"You are an Uchiha," he said, poking me in the forehead. "People should see your eyes and fear you."

"Easy for you to say," I responded. I'm only twelve, after all. I don't look very threatening.

His lips twitched, but he didn't smile. His bangs parted, and I saw that his Rinnegan wasn't covered. At least he wasn't being a hypocrite.

As I made my way to Cell Eight's training ground, I felt uncomfortably exposed. I spent two years wearing that headpiece. Not only did it keep people from seeing my doujutsu, it also covered the bruises under my eyes. It's silly of me to have been so vain, but I'm self-concious all the same.

"Woah, Akako-chan, your eyes are even smaller than I thought they were!" Hanemaru laughed.

"Are you getting enough sleep?" Sango asked.

"I'm fine, Sango-kun," I said.

"Panda eyes!"

"I can still hear, Hanemaru-kun," I snapped.

"Why'd you take off your headpiece, Akako-chan?" Sango asked, ignoring Hanemaru's antics.

"Sasuke-nii told me to," I responded.

"Akako-chan," Sango said, hesitating, "do you think you could introduce us to your cousin one day?"

"I've always wanted to meet the Uchiha Sasuke!"

"You'll meet him at the chuunin exams," I told my teammates firmly.

"He's taking the chuunin exams?" Hanemaru exclaimed. "He'll cream us!"

I shook my head, exasperated, as Ouja arrived.

Training today seemed less intense than usual, but maybe it was because I had gotten stronger. Thanks to my preventative efforts yesterday, I was only a little bit sore. Several onlookers came to watch the three of us spar, which had never happened before. I was almost certain it was because I didn't have my headpiece on. Everyone could see my Sharingan.

When Sasuke showed up at the end of practice, I heard several screams from both the males and females in the vicinity. He ignored them.

"Sasuke-san," Ouja said. "It is an honor to meet you."

Hanemaru and Sango were so awestruck, they didn't move when Sasuke looked at them. He snorted before saying to me, "Let's go."

We roof-hopped to a lake on the edge of Konohagakure. The remains of a housing complex surrounded it. The faded Uchiha crest on its crumbling walls confirmed that it was indeed Sasuke's old home.

"Here is where my father taught me the Goukakyuu no Jutsu," he said, stopping by the water's edge. He gestured for me to follow him onto the lake surface before schooling me in the basics of the technique.

"Kakashi-sensei told me this is the Uchiha clan's signature technique."

"Aa."

He spent the next twenty minutes explaining the significance behind the jutsu and teaching me the hand seals before indicating I should give it my first try. Even though the jutsu was just at my skill level, my natural affinity is for doton.

I produced a lot of hot air.

"Again."

It took several moments for my cough to subside, but I did as I was told. My second attempt resulted in a lot of smoke.

"Again," he said, activating his Sharingan.

My third attempt produced some embers.

"Again."

Finally, I felt the pieces click together. I took a deep breath, wiped my watery eyes, and focused on aiming properly.

"Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

The fireball I made was much smaller than the one Sasuke had used to demonstrate, but I'd done it, and I hadn't burned myself too badly in the process.

"Yatta!" I exclaimed, my glowing hands on my cheeks. "Thank you, Sasuke-sensei!"

I turned to find him looking into the distance. There was a wistful look in his eyes, and I knew he was replaying the memory of his first fireball in his mind.

**-paragraph break-**

The chuunin exams were both easier and harder than I expected. I passed the written portion easily using my Sharingan, I just kept my hood up so the proctors couldn't see my eyes. Hanemaru cast a genjutsu on himself before entering the room so they wouldn't see him copying others' papers, and Sango copied his answers from my paper—he was sitting next to me.

In the Forest of Death, no one was able to sneak up on us because I kept watch the entire time, since I was too nervous to sleep. We were able to wrestle our Heaven scroll from another group easily. I picked up their chakra signatures, and Hanemaru cast a genjutsu on them while Sango and I searched their pockets.

We got to the tower in two days. Sasuke was already there. Apparently, he'd gotten bored and was terrorizing other groups in his spare time.

"Don't be mean, Sasuke-nii!" I said.

"I'm doing the judges a favor."

Hanemaru and Sango, initially too awed to speak to him, started pestering Sasuke after a few hours. By the next day, a couple more teams had arrived. I could tell Sasuke was becoming more and more disgusted by the attention. I got some, too, but he took the limelight.

"Let's go," he growled, brushing past me.

"I'll see you in a little bit, Hanemaru-kun, Sango-kun," I said over my shoulder. I trotted behind my cousin as he led us deeper into the forest.

He took to the trees, and I struggled to keep up. After a little more than half an hour of travelling, Sasuke came to a stop, dropping into a small clearing. I landed next to him and straightened up, curious as to why he'd brought us here.

"Do you know the curse of our clan?"

"No, Sasuke-nii," I said.

With a snap, he activated his Sharingan.

"Look at me."

I watched as his Sharingan, with its three tomoe, morphed into something alien and strange—the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. The sight of his terrible eye held my gaze. I couldn't look away, even if I wanted to.

"This is where I began my descent to darkness," he said. Looking away from me after a pause, he gazed around the clearing, reliving his memories. It was a while before he spoke again.

"Don't become like me. Vengeance will only leave you feeling empty inside."

"Y-yes, Sasuke-nii," I stuttered.

**-paragraph-**

To this day, I believe the chuunin finale was rigged. Sasuke was my opponent. The moment both our names showed up on the board, the entire arena burst into conversation.

"Ganbare, Akako-chan!" Hanemaru shouted. Sango's battle had put him in the hospital.

"Gambatte, Sasuke-san!"

Grimly, I settled into a battle-ready stance.

"Begin!"

I am not powerful enough to be good at taijutsu, though my form is flawless. My training with Sakura has helped, though. I could probably level a building with my fist on a good day, but with my doton, I could crumble a mountain.

My ninjutsu is nearly perfect, but I don't have the chakra stores to use more than three or four high-skill techniques in a row. My genjutsu has improved since I started training with Sasuke, but I know it will be years before I can even begin to catch up to him.

I disappeared, masking my chakra as I burrowed into the ground. I needed to think fast if I wanted to make it out of this battle with something to show. Sasuke destroyed my bunshin easily and flushed me out with a Chidori directed to the spot right above my head.

I erupted out of the ground right behind him, shouting, "Doton! Ganban Kyuu!"

At the same time, I summoned two more bunshin, which darted into the fray and restrained Sasuke just as the slabs of earth I'd summoned slammed shut. I growled when I realized Sasuke had made a bunshin, too.

I looked up at saw him coming down on me with Kusanagi drawn.

"Hurry up and fight already!" I heard a voice shout, and I flinched, my concentration momentarily wavering.

"Never let such trash distract you," Sasuke muttered.

We dispelled our genjutsu battle at the same time, and this time, he used Kusanagi for real. I barely drew my tantou in time, flooding my body with a thin, even distribution of chakra to put more speed and weight behind my blows.

Shigure taught me to use the tantou shortly before the War. He wanted me to have a fighting style that was my own.

"I wouldn't normally recommend a tantou for someone with a short reach," he said, reference my stature, "but you're fast and resilient, Akako-chan. I believe you can master this weapon, not the other way around."

I was proud of the improvement I'd made in my fighting style during the mere week I'd spent training with Sasuke. He'd forced and stretched my growth in a way previous tutors had not. Even though we were unevenly matched, I could tell by his eyebrows that he was impressed by my resolve.

Knowing I had only minutes left to impress the judges, I disengaged with Sasuke and leapt back, furiously making the hand seals for one of my signature moves.

"Doton shigure!"

Sasuke dodged most of my attack, but I saw him flinch just before he reached me as a bullet hit the back of his shoulder, which saved me from a sword through my leg. Instead, he whipped it up towards my face, seeking to immobilize me.

I suppose that's when everyone thought I'd surrender—I had a sword to my neck, after all. However, Naruto had taught me a thing or two from his previous fights with Sasuke, and I knew what to do.

I twisted around and head-butted him. The crowd cheered and hissed as Sasuke stumbled back, swearing. Quickly, I stopped the bleeding from the cut on my neck.

"I should have known you'd get tips from him," he growled, before sheathing Kusanagi.

I knew that to anyone without Sharingan, Sasuke's hand looked like a blur as he completed the one-handed variation of the Goukakyuu no Jutsu that he'd taught himself. With a burst of speed, I managed to complete my jutsu the same time he did.

"Katon. Goukakyuu no Jutsu."

"Katon! Goukakyuu Shigure!"

His fireball came at me with frightening velocity, but I managed to avoid the worst of it. My attack, a modification of the Uchiha technique, singed Sasuke in multiple places, burning holes through his clothes.

I heard several girls shrieking.

The attack left my throat burning, and in the split second I took to catch my breath, Sasuke caught me.

"You did well," he said, just time ran out and the match concluded.

I was not upset that I'd lost to Sasuke, who had been a ninja for years longer than I had. I was proud to have fought him.

We both got our flak jackets, which is what mattered.

**-end of chapter-**

A/N: And that concludes the chuunin exams! I'm no good at fight scenes, so hopefully it turned out okay. Next, Akako searches for answers to her questions, but will she like the answers?


	7. Chapter 7: Finding Answers

A/N: Hey guys! Just a few notes on Akako's personality. I wanted to create someone who was mature and quiet, confident yet self-aware. I know SasuSaku is canon (and don't get me wrong, I like the pairing), but by the time Naruto ends, she's still so emotionally stunted compared to Sasuke that I gave her up as a bad job. May SasuSaku live on in fanfiction forever XD

Rebirth

Part Two: Growing Up

Chapter 7: Finding Answers

A few days after I passed the chuunin exams, I went to Kakashi to take personal leave. Sasuke, Sango, and Hanemaru were the only others to pass the exam, to no one's surprise. Sango and Hanemaru deserved a break, and I wanted to take the opportunity to scour Earth Country for answers about my family.

"Permission granted," Kakashi said, after he'd listened to me for a few minutes.

Sasuke had come far enough in his physical therapy that I was comfortable leaving him to his own devices. He frowned a little when I told him I was going to leave, but I knew he would not stop me. He understood my motivations.

I guess Kakashi thought thirteen was old enough to leave the village, but not old enough to leave alone, because I had a jounin as my tail. I never saw him, though his chakra was a pleasant shade of brown, like autumn leaves.

It took me a few days to reach Earth Country. As I'd told myself to do long ago, I started at the old hut where I was born. It had been long-abandoned, but the village was still there. I learned from questioning the locals that my mother was originally passing through to visit a friend, presumably to share news of her pregnancy with him. She went into early labor, and Ame was her midwife.

"She had such a striking face," the old man I was speaking to said. "It's not one you could easily forget, and she passed it on to you."

"Thank you, Ojiisan," I said.

I was willing to bet money that he'd been talking about my nose and eyebrows when he'd called my mother's face "striking." My nose is curved sharply at the tip, like a blade that's been bent. Hanemaru had joked one day that my eyebrows looked like fuzzy caterpillars and ended up with his face in the dirt. Sango had begun training with Rock Lee by then and said nothing.

My mother had not left any details about her friend, except that he lived in Iwagakure. I had lived there for ten years and knew that my knowledge of the village was incomplete. Still, I suspected that my mother's friend had been a ninja, as well, so it narrowed down the list of places I had to search somewhat.

Luck was with me. Only a few days into my search, a young boy ran up to me and took me to his uncle, who wished to see me.

"I am glad that you are still alive, Akako-chan," he rasped. "I was distraught when I heard news of your mother's death. She was an old friend of mine."

I learned that Tadao had come from the same village as my mother, Jishin Ishiko, and that they had grown up together. His stories of her had made her come alive. She had been a very loving woman who was as stubborn as the mountains.

"Why didn't the villagers like her, Tadao-ojisan?" I asked.

At this, he sighed.

"Your mother became pregnant with you while on a mission in Konoha. Her family estranged her when she refused to name the father or give you up. You were the most important thing to her, next to being a ninja."

"Who was my father? Why wouldn't she let me become a ninja? Was she good at doton, too? Do I have mednin in my family?" I asked, the questions coming in a rush.

He chucked, a raspy sound, before answering my questions.

I was disappointed to learn that I was the product of a one-night stand, but I was even more disappointed that my mother had not entrusted the name of my father to him. It was likely she had taken the knowledge with her to the grave.

"I believe your mother didn't want you to suffer the same way she had, Akako-chan. Being a part of the Third Shinobi War is a legacy no parent wants to leave with their child. Your mother and I lost countless friends to the conflict, and she only wanted a life of peace for you."

I found it hypocritical that my mother had loved being a ninja so much, yet she had denied me the same choice. And I'd been involved in a war, anyways. My mother's family was skilled in doton but had few healers and no kekkei genkai. After some deliberation, I decided not to visit them. I was an Uchiha now.

Tadao had retired after only a few years as a chuunin, due to a severe bout of illness that would leave him crippled for the rest of his life. I was able to alleviate a bit of his pain, but his lungs were beyond saving.

Before I left, he gave me a photo of him and my mother when they were children, urging me to keep it since he probably didn't have long to live, anyways. I was her spitting image, except for my eyes. They were shaped a bit differently than hers, presumably like my father's.

**-paragraph break-**

I had been gone a little less than three weeks, which was a shorter amount of time than I'd anticipated. As I continued to travel towards Konoha, I sensed something strange about one of the chakra signatures ahead of me. It was multi-colored, something I'd never seen before, and it was not pulsing in a normal manner.

Stopping, I called out for the first time, "Jounin-san."

At this, my tail appeared in a puff of smoke.

"At your service, Uchiha-san."

I pointed in the direction of the chakra signature.

"Do you sense that?"

"Yes, Uchiha-san."

"Something's not right about that chakra signature," I said, frowning. "Please stay with me, jounin-san."

"Yes, Uchiha-san."

I slowed down to a walk and chatted with him. I learned that my escort's name was Kisuke. He was a nice man in his mid-twenties.

Suddenly, the strange chakra changed direction and started coming towards us at a blinding speed.

"Stay back, Uchiha-san!" Kisuke shouted.

I activated my Sharingan and hid myself underground in seconds. Seconds later, I heard the unknown ninja clash with Kisuke. Up close, the assailant's chakra signature was even more frightening. It was various shades of red, black, and green, and it bubbled and spiked sickly. It took over twenty minutes for Kisuke to kill the attacker, and I could hear snippets of their conversation from my hiding place.

"The girl," the ninja gasped. "She was here. You were with her."

"I'm not telling you anything," Kisuke shot back.

"My master has need of her," the ninja said. He began to giggle, and I felt his chakra flare in response.

"I'll kill you before that happens!"

Eventually, I felt the attacker's chakra die out and re-emerged. I'm not squeamish, but the sight of the ninja's body almost caused me to vomit. Kisuke had literally hacked the guy to pieces. His eyes were ghastly. They were a muddy reddish color with yellow sclera.

"Do you have a scroll we can seal this man into, Kisuke-san?"

"Yes, Uchiha-san."

"I think Sakura-sensei will be interested to know what this guy's made of."

**-paragraph break-**

We made good time and were able to return to Konoha by nightfall. Sasuke met us at the gates and accompanied us to Hokage Tower. I didn't want him to be present when I gave my report because I knew he'd be worried by the attack on Kisuke and me, but Kakashi let him stay in the room.

"What?"

"We were attacked on the way back to Konoha, Hokage-sama," Kisuke said, repeating my sentence.

"He carried no distinguishing marks, but Kisuke-san killed him and we would like to deliver his body to Sakura-sensei."

"Granted."

After dropping the body off with Sakura, I went to get dinner. Sasuke accompanied me to my favorite okonomiyaki shop, glaring at anyone who looked twice at us.

"Sasuke-nii," I said, sitting down, "why are you so nice to me? You didn't have to come."

He raised an eyebrow as we were handed menus. He handed his back and ordered tea.

When I first met Sasuke, I thought the way he treated me was the way he treated everyone else. As I got to know him better, I saw that he cared very little for other people, barring the other members of Cell Seven and a few others, but he'd known them since childhood.

I had tried rationalizing his behavior towards me several times but found that I could not. He'd let me coddle him for a few days after he'd gotten out of the hospital, but he could hardly stand Sakura's concern. He let me bully him into sleeping in my bed while I took the couch, but Naruto couldn't even get him to try another flavor of ramen. He argued with Kakashi all the time but politely listened to me.

Several minutes passed, and it seemed he was not going to answer me. I felt my ears burn at the impertinence of my question. I decided to ask him about what he'd been doing while I was gone, instead. He gave me one-word responses, and frustrated, I gave up talking to him and instead started shoveling food into my mouth in a way that would have made Naruto proud. He'd passed the jounin exams recently and was one step closer to being Hokage.

As I ate, I studied Sasuke's body language more closely. I took in the tense line of his shoulders and the slight dent between his eyebrows. His head was slightly bowed as he looked at his teacup, and it seemed almost like he was avoiding eye contact with me. In a flash, I understood why Sasuke was not talking to me.

He was embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-nii?" I asked.

"Stop calling me that," he snapped.

"But—"

"You're old enough now, Akako."

"O-okay, Sasuke-san," I responded, feeling confused and honored by his sudden vehemence. For some reason, he was starting to treat me like an adult. Like an equal.

**-end of chapter-**

A/N: The plot thickens! And so ends the last chapter of Part Two. We're a little over halfway done, folks. In case any of you are wondering just how much younger Akako is compared to Sasuke, that will be revealed in the next chapter.


	8. Chapter 8: Forming Bonds

A/N: Buckle you seat belts, kiddies! A lot happens in this chapter. I'm definitely going back over it in the future to work out the pacing better. Enjoy =]

Rebirth

Part Three: Chasing You

Chapter 8: Forming Bonds

A week after my return to Konoha, Kakashi summoned Sasuke and me to Hokage Tower. Sakura and Shizune were already there when we arrived. A report was in Kakashi's hands, and his expression didn't look good.

"Akako-chan, we are almost certain we know who tried to kidnap you."

"Who, Hokage-sama?"

"It was Orochimaru."

After a moment of stunned silence, Sasuke started to swear. Sakura cut him off after an appropriate amount of time to relay her and Shizune's findings.

"The ninja Kisuke-san killed had a dangerous combination of DNA," she began. "His own genetic material had been almost completely rewritten. His body contained Senju, Uchiha, and Orochimaru's tissue."

I felt my blood run cold.

"How?" Sasuke snarled. Quickly, I put my hand on his elbow to calm him down.

"We're not sure how," Shizune said, "but we think he might have stolen some of Madara's DNA during the war. He was likely influenced by how Kabuto-san had altered his genetic profile."

"It's been only a few years since the war ended, and he's stirring up trouble again," Kakashi said, shaking his head.

"I should have killed him again." Sasuke's teeth were clenched so tightly, I could see the veins in his jaw.

"Be that as it may," Kakashi said, "two teams of ANBU are being dispatched as we speak. One will investigate and destroy any of Orochimaru's remaining hideouts and another will go to Sound Country and surrounding areas to gather intelligence. Until then, neither of you are allowed to leave the village for any reason."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," I said, grabbing Sasuke's arm before he left to raze Otogakure to the ground.

I knew from my history lessons that Sound Country had been abandoned for years after Sasuke killed Orochimaru. I also know that Sasuke revived him shortly before the Fourth Shinobi War happened and that Orochimaru had fought for the allied side. Afterwards, he had disappeared. Apparently, he hadn't stopped in his quest for power. I knew this issue was intensely personal for Sasuke, and now I had been drawn into the picture, too.

"He wants vessels with the ability to develop the Rinnegan," he hissed, glaring murderously at any living thing that crossed his path.

"We don't know for sure, Sasuke-san," I said, though I agreed with him. "Could this be connected to the ninja who attacked you before you returned to Konoha?"

"No," he said. "the three nukenin just wanted a chance to gloat."

**-paragraph break-**

I knew that if I left him alone, he'd tear his hair out, so I invited Sasuke to stay the night at my apartment. He'd moved out over a year ago, but some of his things were still there. Sasuke had decided to reconstruct the Uchiha compound, but smaller than it had been before. So far, only the main house had been replaced, along with most of the tombstones in the graveyard.

He responded by veering sharply to the left, towards the marketplace. Confused, I followed him into the furniture shop. Sasuke stayed there for two hours while the shop owner waited on him hand and foot. He asked me for my opinion on nearly every piece he looked at.

Finished, he then went grocery shopping. I understood that Sasuke was running errands in order to distract himself from vengeance, but I wondered why he wasn't training, instead. The answer became apparent after we arrived at the Uchiha compound to drop off his groceries. The movers had just arrived, and we spent most of the afternoon arranging the furniture. With my chakra-enhanced strength, Sasuke was able to arrange the furniture to his liking without scratching the floors.

"This is your room," he said, after I'd finished moving the bed against the wall.

For a moment, I thought I'd misheard him.

"What, Sasuke-san?"

"You're an Uchiha," he said flatly. "Now, you will live like one."

"When am I moving in?" I asked, bewildered.

"Tomorrow."

The shock of learning that Orochimaru had planned to kidnap me for something I could not control—my genetics—kept me up most of the night. I got maybe two hours of sleep before Sasuke arrived at my apartment at the crack of dawn. He started packing up my kitchen even as I struggled to leave my covers. I knew better than to argue with him, so I helped him pack my things and move them into my new room. Fortunately, I didn't have many belongings.

Neither of us had eaten lunch, but Sasuke only let me have a quick snack before heading to the training grounds.

"Wouldn't asking Naruto-kun to spar be better?" I asked, as we began to warm up.

"He's too busy licking Kakashi's heels," Sasuke replied.

It was true that Naruto was starting to learn from Kakashi the details of being Hokage, but I was certain his appointment was still years away. He didn't have the diplomacy or poise to pull off being a political leader yet. The charisma and power were definitely there, though.

"What about Sakura-sensei?" I asked, as we did our katas.

"On a date," he grunted.

Sakura had started dating Rock Lee recently. I knew he'd been crazy about her since day one, and now it seemed she was starting to reciprocate his affections.

We were locked in a genjutsu battle for almost half an hour before I became too tired to continue, which was much better than the mere forty-five seconds I'd managed the first time I fought Sasuke almost two years ago.

I sat on Sasuke's back, practicing hand seals, while he did pushups. It reminded me of the days Sango and I used to train. I didn't see him much anymore—he had recently been promoted to ANBU, a great honor.

**-paragraph break-**

Living with Sasuke was easy. He was painstakingly neat and kept a rigid schedule that I was able to follow easily. It made no difference to him who did the housework, though I did a majority of it in an attempt to thank him for staying in such a nice house with him. When he wasn't training, he was reading, and when he wasn't reading, he was brooding. Whenever Sasuke brooded, his chakra turned cold.

"Stop it, Sasuke-san," I said, poking him in the side. He flinched and glared at me. Undeterred, I said, "Let's go buy some tomatoes for dinner, okay?"

He grunted before getting up.

The gossip has gone down to a bearable level, but I still registered the whispered comments that followed us when Sasuke and I showed up to the marketplace together. Sasuke's response was to ignore everyone. I simply shifted my basket further up my arm before getting down to business.

I decided to get additional groceries for breakfast, along with some of the tea Sasuke liked. Several times throughout our venture, I caught him trying to steal tomatoes from the basket. He received a sharp rap across the knuckles each time until finally, I relented and gave him one.

The next few days were accompanied by a constant sense of unease in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't tell if I was simply being paranoid, but my instincts haven't failed me yet. My insomnia has gotten worse again, though it's nowhere near as bad as it was a few years ago.

I decided to go to the lake and meditate. Sitting down on its surface, I took a moment to admire the ripples in the water before closing my eyes. After almost an hour of peace, I felt a single, unfamiliar chakra signature appear in the forest a few miles away. Frowning, I opened my eyes. The way it was roiling made me dart back into the house to alert Sasuke.

I found him already awake, putting on his sandals. Kusanagi was at his side.

"Sasuke-san—"

"I know," he said, before disappearing.

Running back outside, I activated my Sharingan and saw Sasuke's chakra signature intercept the unknown ninja in the forest. A brief struggle followed. I heard Sasuke use Chidori.

I gasped as suddenly, a ninja appeared in my field of vision. He had disguised his chakra so well, I hadn't sensed his approach. The instant I hit him, I knew something was wrong. I'd hit a bunshin—it exploded in a spray of mist that numbed my exposed skin. Horrified, I darted towards the lake and dove in, washing as much of the substance off as I could.

Seconds later, Sasuke arrived with the main body slung over his shoulder. He dropped it when he saw how pale my face was becoming. My glowing hands were around my neck.

"What is it?" he demanded.

"Get Sakura-sensei," I gasped. My voice was shrill with panic.

Quickly, Sasuke summoned two bunshin. One ran in the direction of Sakura's house, the other back towards the trees. Unable to help me, he busied himself with binding the ninja that had attacked me, instead.

Sakura arrived a few minutes later. By then, I was swaying on my feet.

"Akako-chan, what's wrong?" she exclaimed, rushing to my side and placing her glowing hands on my shoulders, steadying me.

"Sakura-sensei, I'm poisoned," I said. I was almost certain the poison wasn't lethal, but my vision was starting to flicker the edges.

"Don't fall asleep," Sasuke said sharply, suddenly right next to me.

"Silly Sasuke," I slurred. "I have insomnia."

My vision flickered one last time before going out.

**-paragraph break-**

When I woke up, I was in bed. Sakura and Sasuke were sitting at my side.

"Akako-chan, how do you feel?"

"Dizzy," I said.

"I extracted the poison from your body," Sakura said, indicating the vial on my nightstand. "It seems to be a variation of flunitrazepam, but I'll need to run a few tests, to be sure."

"What happened?" I asked.

"There were two ninja sent to capture you, Akako-chan. Sasuke-kun killed one of them. Ibiki-taichou got the other one, the one whose bunshin you destroyed, to talk," Sakura said.

"'He deserved it, Sound scum." Sasuke was barely sitting still in his seat.

"So it's been confirmed," I said, feeling my stomach drop to the ground.

"Yes," Sakura said. "Orochimaru is trying to capture you."

She left soon afterwards, but Sasuke didn't. He kept staring at me.

"I'm alright, Sasuke-san," I said, disconcerted by the concern I saw in his face.

He shook his head and said nothing.

"Rest, Akako-chan," Sakura said, getting up.

Sasuke didn't move from my side, and I wondered if he was going to watch me fall asleep. I felt like I'd closed my eyes for only a few seconds when I heard him say my name, waking me.

"What is it, Sasuke-san?"

I squealed as he picked me up, holding me against his chest with one arm while wrapping my blankets more securely around me with the other.

"We're going to see the Hokage."

"Put me down!" I exclaimed.

He instead put his free hand in a seal, and we disappeared. When we reappeared outside Kakashi's office, I struggled to overcome the vertigo that followed.

"Come in."

"Sasuke-kun, Akako-chan," Kakashi said, his eyes crinkling as Sasuke set me into the chair in front of his desk.

"Talk."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow but did as Sasuke commanded.

"We have begun the process of destroying Orochimaru's lairs. Our team of ANBU found his reconstructed lab in Otogakure—"

"So he's there."

"Let me finish, Sasuke-kun. He was there, but he isn't anymore. He took his research with him and fled."

"And the test subjects?" I asked.

"They were all destroyed," Kakashi said. "Our next step is to—"

"—find Kabuto."

"Sasuke-kun, Kabuto-san is—"

"He worked for the snake for years," Sasuke snapped. "Even if he isn't anymore, he will still know the most likely places Orochimaru will go."

"We don't even know where he is right now, Sasuke-kun."

"I'll find him."

Kakashi gave me a look that I knew well. It was the look people gave me when Sasuke was being difficult.

"I'll commission a team to investigate," he said.

"I said I'm doing it."

"Hokage-sama," I cut in. Both men turned to look at me. "At least let Sasuke-san search within the borders of Konoha. He can have jounin go with him, too."

Kakashi froze mid-nod at Sasuke's next words.

"I want Akako to go with me."

"What?" Kakashi and I exclaimed.

"Sasuke-kun, think of what you're saying! You'll be putting the entire future of the Uchiha clan in jeopardy if both of you go on this mission."

"She's a sensor," Sasuke retorted. "She's fast, and she's a healer."

"If it's a healer you want, I can ask Sakura-chan to go with you."

"She's annoying."

"Is that really what you think of her, after all this time?" Kakashi's voice was quiet.

Sasuke glanced at me. Apparently, it told Kakashi all he needed to know. With a groan, he buried his head in his hands.

"The village elders will never forgive me if I let the two of you go."

Sasuke smirked.

"At least pass the jounin exams first," Kakashi wheedled.

"Fine."

With that, Sasuke picked me up again and swept out of the office.

"That wasn't very nice, Sasuke-san," I said, when we arrived back at the house.

"I got what I wanted," he replied, as he tucked me in.

"Got what?" I asked, pushing the covers aside so I could sit up. "You warned me once about the dangers of being consumed by vengeance. Isn't this the same thing?"

Sasuke looked at me for a long time.

"I agreed not to leave Konoha," he said slowly. "I agreed to take the jounin exams."

At this, I understood how much Sasuke was compromising. I could see it burning in his expression, how much he wanted to go find Orochimaru, himself.

"But what about me?" I asked.

Sasuke turned and left the room.

**-end of chapter-**

A/N: What is flunitrazepam, you ask? Roofies! Don't worry, Orochimaru will get what's coming to him.


	9. Chapter 9: Slow Realization

A/N: Happy Christmas Eve, y'all! Here is your present, an extra-long chapter. Akako likes to think with her stomach, but she does plenty with her brain, too. This chapter is going to involve mostly the second kind.

One last thing-I edited Chapter 8 for pacing and subsequently lopped a bit off the end and stuck it to the beginning of Chapter 9, so don't be confused =P

Rebirth

Part Three: Chasing You

Chapter 9: Slow Realization

I spent the rest of the day and most of the night pondering why Sasuke would want to bring me on this mission with him, turning it over and over in my mind until my head ached. I could think of no logical explanations for his decision; I simply could not fathom what was driving him to be so selfish. In the end, I decided that he simply wanted me to be with him because I was the only family he had left and he didn't trust anyone else to watch me.

I am not the little girl I once was. When I first met Sasuke, I barely met his ribcage. Now, I almost reach his shoulder, though I have yet to grow into my skin.

He found me in the morning, sitting on a tree stump by the lake.

"Come eat breakfast," he said, and I knew it was his way of apologizing.

"Okay."

During breakfast, I chatted with Sasuke about inconsequential things. I did not bring up the fact that it was my birthday in a few days. I told it to him a few years ago without realizing that the Uchiha massacre had occurred the day I turned one.

I had a day off today and decided to find Hanemaru. I needed to distract myself from the thoughts swirling around in my mind.

"Wake up, Hanemaru-kun!" I said, dropping through his bedroom window.

"Akako-chan!" he exclaimed, jumping out of bed. He was clad only in a pair of sweatpants.

"I have a free day today," I explained, as he hunted for a shirt. "Want to train?"

"Sure," he responded. "Are you taking the jounin exams?"

"I don't think I'm ready," I said, after a short pause. "Sasuke-san still beats me too often."

"Akako-chan," Hanemaru said, rolling his eyes, "Sasuke-san is a genius. Comparing yourself to him is unreasonable."

"You sounded very wise just now, Hanemaru-kun."

"Of course I did!" he scoffed. "I'm sixteen now, I'm practically a man."

We spent all day together, catching up. It was enough to push Sasuke's bizarre behavior from my mind.

**-paragraph break-**

The next morning, I broached the topic of taking the jounin exams with Sakura.

"That sounds like a good idea, Akako-chan," she said.

"I just don't know how to tell Sasuke-san," I said, watching her demonstrate the Resuscitation technique on a fish. "He's been acting strange lately."

"He's worried about you," she said. "Put your hands here."

"Aa," I replied, doing as she directed.

Sakura must have detected my lingering confusion, because she kept speaking.

"Understand, Akako-chan, that Sasuke-kun has lost so many people dear to him, he's afraid something will happen to the remaining people he loves."

I frowned as I processed her words.

"Oh, you almost have it!" she said, as my fish gave a particularly lively jerk. She held a bucket of water at the ready.

"Will you help me train for the jounin exams, Sakura-sensei?" I asked, when training for the day was over. I had made my decision.

Having spent yesterday with Hanemaru and today with Sakura, I was reminded of the reason I became a ninja in the first place. I wanted to become strong in order to make my mother proud and in order to find my father.

Now, I also wanted to prove to Sasuke that I was strong enough to take care of myself.

"Of course, Akako-chan, but you don't need to call me sensei anymore," she said. "I don't have much left to teach you."

"Really?" I asked.

"It's up to you to develop your area of specialization," she said. "Shishou passed all her techniques on to me, but her styles of fighting and healing are not compatible with yours."

I nodded. Sakura's words reminded me of a piece of advice Hanemaru had given me the previous day.

"Don't compare yourself to others, Akako-chan," he said. "You are strong, but it's your heart that makes people pay attention to you."

I frowned, unconvinced.

"Okay, only when you're not being anti-social," he laughed.

**-paragraph break-**

My resolved to take the jounin exams was solid, but Sakura's comments on Sasuke's behavior had further confused me. I knew that Sasuke loved me as a family member, as I did him, but the way Sakura had looked at me as she said the words made my stomach churn. She had known Sasuke for longer than I'd been alive, but I still wanted a second opinion.

Over the past few weeks, I've become friends with one of the terminally ill patients at the hospital, Ueda Sachiko. She's a quiet girl, full of wisdom. I decided to bring my concerns to her. I told her of my frustrations with Sasuke's recent strange behavior and grew more and more confused the bigger her smile got.

"Oh, you're so lucky, Akako-chan," she giggled.

"Lucky?" I scoffed.

"He loves you," she said, patting my hand.

"What?" I exclaimed.

"He wouldn't be so protective of you if he thought of you only as a cousin," she said, as if she was speaking to a child.

"But—"

"He loves you," Sachiko insisted. "He's just too afraid to tell you."

When I got home, I spent a long time thinking of what she'd said. Reluctant as I was to admit it, a wave of comprehension had swept through me when Sachiko told me of Sasuke's feelings. Now, his decision to take me with him Kabuto-hunting finally made sense.

I'm fourteen, but I've never given a thought to dating or boys. I've been too focused on becoming a ninja and finding my family. I suppose it's a trait of the Uchiha clan to be consumed with one goal, to the exclusion of everything else, until it's achieved.

The notion that someone could love me had never crossed my mind. I knew that the Konoha elders expected me and Sasuke to one day wed and have children, but I was perfectly fine with the way our relationship was, now.

I like living with Sasuke. I like talking to him, training with him, eating with him. I like that I can touch him and not have him flinch away from me. I like knowing that he listens to me, even when he's angry.

**-paragraph break-**

Since Sakura and Sachiko's proclamations, I have been observing Sasuke more carefully. He has not commented on my increased scrutiny, but I've noticed that his chakra becomes disturbed if I stare at him too long.

"I'm home, Akako."

"Welcome back, Sasuke-san."

He'd just come out of the shower when someone knocked on the door. He answered it, as I was busy preparing dinner.

"It's for you," Sasuke said, when I poked my head out of the kitchen.

I frowned when I saw a civilian messenger at the door.

"Uchiha-san," he began, "the Ueda family respectfully requests your presence at Sachiko-san's wake, which will be held in three days."

I gasped.

Sasuke placed a hand in the small of my back, presumably to keep me from collapsing. He also took the messenger's proffered envelope.

After the messenger left, Sasuke led me to the kotatsu. Upon sitting down, I felt myself start to cry. It started as little gasps before turning into full-fledged sobs. I cried almost as hard as I had for my deceased team members in Iwagakure. In all my years using iryou ninjutsu, I'd never had one of my patients die.

At some point, Sasuke must have left to make a cup of tea, which he pushed into my hands with a soft command to drink. I did, though my hands shook so hard I had to put the cup down after a sip.

"I just saw her a few days ago," I whimpered. "She seemed so happy."

"Naite kurasu mo issho, waratte kurasu mo issho," he said softly. It is the same life whether we spend it crying or laughing.

I hiccupped, understanding that Sasuke was trying to make me feel better. Sachiko had been a terminally ill patient, so her death had been inevitable. Still, part of me was convinced that she had died because of me.

"I should have paid better attention to her health!" I thought. "I should not have been so caught up with my problems."

Predictably, I couldn't fall asleep that night. Sasuke came to check on me at three in the morning. I was still agonizing, holding my head in my hands. Kneeling next to me, he poked me in the side to get my attention. I flinched from his touch.

"It wasn't your fault," he said, his voice raspy with sleep.

I shook my head. Now I knew how Tadao had felt when he had found out about my mother's death.

Sasuke poked me again, this time in the forehead.

"Itai!"

"Go to sleep, Akako."

Immediately, I felt myself becoming sleepy and knew that Sasuke must have cast a jutsu on me. I did not protest when he picked me up and carried me to my room. I was half-asleep in his arms by the time he put me in bed, sighing as he tucked me in.

Right before I fell asleep, I felt the caress of his hand on my hair.

**-paragraph break-**

The jounin exams were less than two months away. Sasuke and I trained each day until we were exhausted. I was glad for it—it helped keep Sachiko's death from my mind.

I am proud that even though I am not up to Sasuke's speed, I can keep up with him now. I have learned to adapt any new techniques I acquire into doton. My genjutsu skills have improved, and after a day spent with Rock Lee, I appreciated more than ever what Sango had to go through for the chuunin exams. I also understood why he had developed a sudden hatred for curry and had refused to eat it ever since.

Every time I look into Sasuke's eyes, tomoe spinning, I realize how fortunate I am that he exists. If not for him, I would not be at the level of skill I am now. I would never have improved my katon, and I would never have learned about my heritage as an Uchiha.

As soon as I stepped onto the lake today, I sensed something was wrong. Activating my Sharingan, I tried to pierce the genjutsu Sasuke had cast over me. It took me several minutes to find a slight distortion on the surface of the rippling water, but once I broke free, Sasuke's hand shot out of the water and wrapped around my ankle. Surprising the both of us, I flung my chakra-infused leg upwards as hard as I could and dragged him out of the water, which should not have been possible—he weighs almost twice as much as I do. I clipped him in the chin with my other foot before we both crashed beneath the surface.

"Kai!" I shouted, just as my lungs were about to burst.

I broke through the second layer of his genjutsu just in time. I dodged a Chidori-charged Kusanagi by a hair's breadth before pulling out my tantou. In recent years, I have learned to use two blades at the same time—I used to carry a back-up before I decided I should learn to do more than just sharpen it. Since I started training with Sasuke, my swordsmanship has reached new heights.

We sparred for two hours.

"You lose."

"Okay Sasuke-san, you win," I panted.

He had just taken Kusanagi from my neck when I stumbled, presumably from fatigue. Sasuke moved to catch me, and in that small window of time I tackled him, knocking the sword from his hand.

Sasuke landed with a small "oof."

"I fooled you, Sasuke-san!"

He scowled and pushed me off.

**-paragraph break-**

I was relieved to learn that I would be fighting an existing jounin during the jounin exams, not a fellow applicant. For the written portion of the exam, I had to decode a page of instructions for the practical. The instructions were different for each person, so I couldn't cheat even if I wanted to.

For my practical, I had to once again go into the Forest of Death and find a scroll hidden there. The scroll would have the name of my opponent for the final part of the exam written in it. If I did not find my scroll within twenty-four hours, I would fail. The scroll was keyed so that only I could find and open it, but once it was in my hands, anyone could steal it.

To their detriment, most of the other applicants had large chakra stores that they could not completely hide. That made it easy to avoid them. I knew that the only one I really had to watch out for was Sasuke.

The scroll I had to decode for the written exam had instructions written in the form of a riddle. If I solved it, it would tell me the location of the second scroll, the one with my opponent's name on it. Sakura was one of the brightest kunoichi of her cohort, and she had drilled the importance of critical thinking into me from day one. We had two hours to decode our scrolls. I decoded and solved my riddle in one hour, which put me at an advantage for the practical—I didn't have to wait for the others to finish in order to enter the forest.

Getting to the second scroll was tricky, as my instructions were deliberately vague about the landmarks they referenced. I spent several hours exploring as much of the forest as I could before investigating every sizeable overhang I found for my scroll.

It was on a nearly un-climbable ledge littered with traps. I was loath to use doton in order to dismantle it, so I settled for disabling some of the traps, first. The traps consisted largely of dynamite. After some deliberation, I decided to carefully set a few off. On my fifth trap, I was lucky. I saw a small shape that did not look like shrapnel fly from the rock and snagged it.

In the hours I had spent searching for my scroll, about a dozen other applicants had entered the forest. I had to leave the ledge a few times while I worked in order to lead would-be opponents away. I didn't want anyone to steal my scroll the second it landed in my hands.

Giddy with joy, I decided to reward myself by catching a rabbit. Finding a safe spot to cook it, I dug a hole in the ground and lined it with clean stones I'd gathered from a nearby stream before heating them with katon until they glowed. Dropping slices of rabbit in, I covered the hole with a rock and started examining the scroll with my Sharingan while I waited for my food to cook.

I pierced through the three layers of genjutsu surrounding it like they were made of paper. However, it took me an hour to figure out how to disable the self-destructing seal that would activate if I tried to open it. By then the rabbit was gone.

Opening my scroll with slightly oily hands, I saw that it was blank. My directions had told me that the name of my opponent would not appear until this section of the exam was over, but I was still disappointed.

Sighing, I made my way towards the staging area. Sasuke was already there, his chakra flowing like water. Recalling how he had terrorized the other genin cells during our chuunin exam, I decided to turn back without showing myself to him and see if I could cause any mischief. I had found my scroll in less than twelve hours.

Predictably, I stayed awake the entire twenty-four hours of the practical exam. Sneaking around using both the trees and the ground, I was able to steal and hide three scrolls without their sleeping owners noticing. The next morning, with only three hours of the exam left, I heard three separate howls of anger and frustration that made me smile.

In the end, the three applicants whose scrolls I'd filched failed the exam. I felt only the tiniest bit of remorse for them, but fair was fair. Sasuke had bags under his eyes, so I was willing to bet he'd stayed up all night to avoid the same fate.

"You may open your scrolls now," the proctor said.

Several of the applicants panicked when a kunoichi's scroll self-destructed. She was escorted out, wailing.

Opening mine, I let out a short laugh. I was paired with Kisuke!

"You have one week to prepare for your matches. The date and times will be posted in front of Hokage Tower within twelve hours. Good luck, everyone."

**-paragraph break-**

Sasuke and I were tired and dirty from taking our exam, but we agreed that it was necessary for us to eat, first. Naruto was at Ichiraku's when we arrived, and he enthusiastically greeted us.

I was well into my fifth bowl of ramen when Shizune appeared in a puff of smoke.

"The Hokage requests your presence immediately, Uchiha-san, Akako-chan."

Looking forlornly at my bowl, I put down money for my tab before getting up.

"Don't worry Akako-chan, we can have our eating contest next time!"

Sasuke snorted with disgust. At the same time, he swept my money off the counter.

"Sasuke-san," I said, frowning as he pressed it back into my hand and put down his own money for the both of us.

"Lucky, Akako-chan! He never treats me to anything, and I'm his best friend!"

"Bottomless pit," I heard Sasuke mutter, as we left.

"We have more information on Orochimaru and Kabuto's whereabouts," Kakashi said, when we arrived at his office. "We have also obtained additional information on Orochimaru's objectives.

Orochimaru has fled to the ruins of Uzushiogakure. It seems he is building an underground lab there. Kabuto currently resides in Konoha, in a remote village by the border of Hot Water Country. He has renounced being a shinobi and works as the local medic. He claims he has no knowledge of what Orochimaru has been doing.

Concerning Orochimaru's objectives, things do not look good. Apparently, the DNA he obtained from Madara was low quality. That is why Orochimaru seeks to capture you, Akako-chan. He wants fresh genetic material in the form of your—"

"Enough," Sasuke snarled. He had been growing more and more distraught during Kakashi's report and looked on the verge of breaking something, probably Kakashi's face.

"What now, Hokage-sama?" I asked, shooting Sasuke a warning glance.

"Pass the jounin exams," Kakashi stated.

"And then?"

At this, Kakashi heaved a sigh.

"Unless we kill Orochimaru, he will continue his experiments no matter how much we pursue him. I will make his assassination an S-rank mission."

"I'm taking it," Sasuke snarled. "I'll bring Akako with me and go kill—"

"You will do nothing of the sort without my authorization!" Kakashi snapped. "You forget, Sasuke-kun, that you are a free man because Naruto, myself, and countless others petitioned on your behalf."

"Are you threatening me?" Sasuke growled.

"Sasuke-san, please listen to him," I said. "You cannot afford to make any mistakes."

He glanced at me, scowling.

"Yes, please listen to Akako-chan," Kakashi said dryly. "Do not forget that your actions could endanger her life, as well."

At this, Sasuke turned and left the room.

"I'm sorry for his behavior, Hokage-sama," I said.

"It's alright, Akako-chan, you haven't known Sasuke-kun as long as I have," Kakashi said. Sighing once more, he pulled out a bright orange book from the folds of his robes, clearly dismissing me.

As I left to find Sasuke, I heard Kakashi mutter, "This job keeps getting more and more tiresome."

**-end of chapter-**

A/N: And that's a wrap! Stay tuned to find out how Akako and Sasuke (mostly Sasuke) deal with the Orochimaru problem once and for all.


	10. Chapter 10: Whirlpool Home

A/N: In this chapter, Akako and Sasuke go snake-hunting! I refuse to believe Orochimaru ceased his mischief making after Naruto ended. This was one of my favorite chapters to write, enjoy =]

Rebirth

Part Three: Chasing You

Chapter 10: Whirlpool Home

I passed the jounin exams with flying colors. Kisuke was a good fighter, but he was not as flexible in his thinking as I was. I was hard-pressed to demonstrate some of my other techniques to the judges, as I didn't want them to think I was only proficient in doton, as per my reputation.

I had barely put on my new flak jacket when Sasuke took me by the elbow and transported us to Kakashi's office.

"We're leaving now," he stated.

"Sasuke-kun," Kakashi said, "At least—"

"No more arguments," Sasuke snapped. "We passed the jounin exams, we know Orochimaru's location, and we won't be going alone."

"Who are—?"

"I'm going to track down Juugo and Suigetsu," Sasuke said, scowling.

"And Karin?"

"I don't need her."

Before Kakashi could respond, Sasuke dragged me out of the room.

It had taken me the span of half a second to realize he was serious in leaving right away. The instant we arrived at the house, Sasuke disappeared into his room to pack.

Locating the sealing scrolls I'd bought from Tenten's shop a few weeks ago, I put weapons in one, medical supplies in another, and clothes in the third. After readjusting my sandals for optimal fit, I joined Sasuke at the door.

From there, he set a breakneck pace towards Uzushiogakure, the land of Naruto's ancestors. It took us only two days to get there, but Sasuke circled around towards Hot Water Country in order to gather more information; he took an entire day just to visit Kabuto. We camped out for a week, waiting for Suigetsu and Juugo to find us. Suigetsu showed up first.

"Who's this?" he asked, seeing me. "Karin's replacement?"

I glanced at Sasuke before saying, "I'm Uchiha Akako."

"Really?" Suigetsu asked. "You don't look like an Uchiha. Or are you guys married already?"

"Shut up, Suigetsu," Sasuke snapped.

"Whoa, calm down there, Sasuke-chan," Suigetsu replied.

I could tell right away that the two did not get along. Still, I knew that Suigetsu must be powerful if Sasuke had asked him for help. The enormous sword on his back was confirmation enough of his abilities.

Juugo arrived a few days later. He was easily the largest man I'd ever seen, but I could see the gentleness in his eyes.

"Sasuke-sama," he said, bowing to Sasuke before asking politely for my name.

"Don't go mangling her," Suigetsu piped up, "or Sasuke'll have your balls."

"Shut up, Suigetsu."

"It's nice to meet you, Uchiha-san," Juugo said.

"Aki. It's Aki," I said, impulsively giving him my childhood nickname. From the corner of my eye, I saw Sasuke give me a strange look.

"Aki-san," Juugo complied.

"So what's the plan?" Suigetsu asked. "You have some nerve, calling me here. I have six swords now, six! My followers aren't happy that I left without telling them what was going on."

"I'm sending you to do recon," Sasuke said.

"Great, so I get to do all the grunt work? Lame," Suigetsu said.

"Akako will come with you."

"What, so am I supposed to carry her or something, your highness?"

At this, I felt Sasuke's charka go cold. For the first time, I saw him activate his Rinnegan—it glowed an eerie lavendar color.

"If she comes back with so much as a scratch, I will gut you alive."

"Okay geez, calm down," Suigetsu said, putting his hands up. "I won't hurt your princess."

**-paragraph break-**

The next day, Suigetsu and I set out in a motorized boat for the Whirlpool Country. Once we were far enough from the shoreline, Suigetsu cut the engine and I cloaked us with a genjutsu that both turned us invisible and masked our chakra. I added a henge on top so that if there were any sensors or guards on the island, they would mistake the two of us for seagulls in the water.

Suigetsu eased into the water and pushed the boat the rest of the way. When we got close enough to the island, we hid the boat and crept closer towards where Orochimaru's new lab was supposed to be. The two of us hissed in dismay when we saw and detected the multiple layers of traps spreading out hundreds of feet, in every direction, from the location of his base.

"He doesn't do anything half-way, does he?" Suigetsu remarked.

It would be suspicious for Orochimaru to set a guard on duty, since Uzushiogakure was supposed to be deserted. It certainly looked like it.

Suigetsu and I camped out for the rest of the day. I was able to sense several chakra signatures in Orochimaru's lab. Some of them I assumed were guards. Tears sprang to my eyes when I realized that several of them were of children.

"He's experimenting with children!"

"No surprise there," Suigetsu said, shrugging.

We left the island after the rat Sasuke had summoned using his Rinnegan returned from its exploration. I tried not to flinch as it settled in my collar, against the back of my neck.

When we arrived back in Hot Water Country, Sasuke was nowhere to be found.

"Sasuke-sama went to do aerial reconnaissance," Juugo explained. He was roasting our dinner over a fire.

"Thank you, Juugo-san," I said.

"Man, I'm hungry!" Suigetsu said. "Thirsty, too. Being in salt water wipes me out." With that, he went to refill his water bottles.

Juugo and I chatted for a bit while we waited for Suigetsu and Sasuke to come back. When Suigetsu returned, he dug in without waiting for either of us. Juugo and I waited a bit longer for Sasuke to return before starting to eat, as well.

He returned just after nightfall.

"Welcome back, Sasuke-san."

He grunted and took the stick of fish I offered.

"Report."

"There're a whole lot of traps everywhere," Suigetsu said, handing Sasuke a scroll of notations. "And the place is definitely deserted."

"He's experimenting on children," I said, "at least three or four. There are several guards, as well."

Sasuke nodded, his eyes following the rat as it scurried down my arm and ran towards him. He allowed it to climb onto his hand, the one holding Suigetsu's scroll open.

Suigetsu went into more detail about the traps, pointing at the appropriate places on the scroll. I supplemented his descriptions where necessary. The whole time Suigetsu spoke, Sasuke's eyes were trained on the rat.

We spent the next two days refining our plan.

**-paragraph break-**

Though the four of us were living in the wilderness, plotting the demise of Sasuke's most hated enemy, I had never felt so at peace. I was able to get adequate sleep at night, thanks to the comforting aura of Sasuke's chakra. I had come to enjoy Suigetsu and Juugo's company, as well.

Instead of disabling the traps around Orochimaru's base, the four of us reconfigured them into a massive seal keyed to Orochimaru's chakra. It took almost a month to complete because we could only afford to redo a few traps at a time without arousing suspicion. The ones that weren't necessary for our ploy were usually disabled, but we left a few active, mostly the explosives. They would be useful for our attack. We put the finishing touches on our seal the night beforehand.

Together, Suigetsu and I weakened the structural integrity of the base using a combination of doton and suiton. We reworked the ground surrounding the structure so that it would crumble with a good burst of chakra. We also mixed gasoline into the soil so that we could torch the compound when our task was complete. We wanted no part of Orochimaru's twisted experimentation to remain. Unfortunately, the children's chakra had already taken on a sickly hue. There was no saving them.

The next morning, just as the sun was about to rise, we attacked. Juugo brought the building down, which flushed Orochimaru and his guards out. Juugo and Suigetsu set to killing the guards while I stayed back, masking my chakra and observing. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I saw each of the children die, but I forced my vision to remain clear. I needed to watch for Sasuke's signal.

Orochimaru tried to flee, but our trap held. Suigetsu and Juugo made short work of the guards, explosives going off everywhere, and retreated to where I was, outside the seal's range. The three of us knew better than to get in the way of Sasuke's fight. While we watched, I healed the various cuts they'd received.

"The way you heal is much less gruesome than how Karin-san did it," Juugo said.

"Um, thank you," I responded.

"In case the seal fails, we should spread out," Suigetsu said wisely.

The three of us ran circuits. Juugo was the innermost ring, Suigetsu the middle, and I the outer. The fight was very noisy, but both Sasuke and Orochimaru weren't speaking. They had forgone the usual battle taunts.

Sasuke did not have enough room to summon the complete Susanoo, but the partial manifestation I saw was more than enough to put shivers down my spine. His eyes were a terrible sight to behold.

With a shiver, I realized that Sasuke was actually playing with Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin. Orochimaru had multiple, non-lethal wounds all over his body. He seemed to be using every technique and strategy in his disposal against Sasuke, which was a lot. Still, I could see the mounting desperation in his eyes and knew he knew he could not win this battle.

I watched with growing despair as it became clear that Sasuke intended to torture Orochimaru to death, which could take hours.

"Sasuke-san!" I said, stopping my circuit. "Please stop this!"

"No," he hissed. "I want him to suffer for everything he's done."

"It's not right, Sasuke-san!" I exclaimed. "Let the gods decide his fate, this is cruelty."

"Give it up, Akako-chan," Suigetsu said, as he passed me. "He won't see sense."

Upset, I did the one thing I could—I left. Juugo followed me. His chakra was becoming unstable, so I assumed he left the fight to avoid triggering a violent episode.

"I know you're upset, Aki-san," he said, sitting down next to me on the edge of a ruined rooftop, "but please try to understand how Sasuke-sama must be feeling."

"I can't," I choked. "I've never seen such hatred."

"Orochimaru hurt us in ways that should not be possible," he said gently, "and he did it without remorse. What Sasuke-sama is doing is no less than what he deserves."

"Sasuke-san is a lot of things, but he is not a judge," I bit back.

At this, Juugo's gaze softened further.

"He is not a judge, Aki-san. He is an avenger."

**-paragraph break-**

After what felt like ages, I saw a cloud of smoke forming in the direction of the base and knew that Sasuke had set fire to it. The battle was over. A few minutes later, Sasuke and Suigetsu arrived. I turned my face away when I saw Sasuke's bloodied face. He had used Amaterasu to set the flames.

"Suigetsu, Juugo, we're finished here."

"Geez, you're welcome," Suigetsu said. He nodded towards me with a, "It's been real, Akako-chan," before disappearing.

"Take care Aki-san," Juugo said. He cast Sasuke a strange look before saying, "If you ever need me again, you need only ask, Sasuke-sama." Then he too disappeared.

"Stay here, Akako."

In a rare moment of petulance, I considered disobeying Sasuke and going back to Konoha on my own, but I refrained. After half an hour, Sasuke returned. He'd changed his clothes, and his hair was damp. Somewhat reluctantly, I approached Sasuke and inspected his eye. He allowed me to fuss over him for a few moments before moving out of my reach.

"We're coming back tomorrow."

I was shocked and pleasantly surprised when we walked into an onsen to stay the night, and it was a gesture that I took full advantage of. We were, after all, in Hot Water Country.

The next day, we traveled back to Uzushiogakure so that Sasuke could put out the black flames he'd unleashed on Orochimaru's compound. They unnerved me when they came into view. The fire was smokeless and continued to burn soundlessly though was nothing left for it to consume, just a pile of slowly shrinking ashes. I fought back a wave of nausea as Sasuke extinguished the flames with his right eye. Instead, I busied myself with filling in the enormous hole left behind by the underground lab's destruction.

"We're leaving."

He summoned a hawk, and it carried us over the water towards Konoha. I was confused when I realized it was not heading towards Konohagakure—its trajectory was off.

"Where are we going, Sasuke-san?" I finally asked.

"Earth Country."

"What are we going there for?"

He glanced at me, his gaze unreadable.

"Sightseeing."

**-end of chapter-**

A/N: Have a happy new year, y'all! Only a few more chapters to go.


	11. Chapter 11: Arriving

A/N: Hey guys, Happy New Year! Sorry for the later-than-usual post, my family whisked me away on an impromptu holiday. This is kind of an in-between chapter. I wanted to illustrate how Akako functions both with and without Sasuke in the picture. Enjoy =]

Rebirth

Part Three: Chasing You

Chapter 11: Arriving

As we flew, I pondered what had happened over the past few weeks. I had never seen this side of Sasuke before. He was a ruthless tactician, willing to do whatever it took to take down his enemy. A small part of me admired him for it, but mostly, I was repulsed.

It made we wonder if the vengeance Sasuke carried in his heart would ever die.

I was not naïve. I knew that Sasuke had killed far more than I ever had and that his early years as a ninja had been spent trying to fulfill impossible expectations. I knew that his heart had become blackened by hatred but that it had ultimately been tempered by the love Sakura and Naruto had for him. It wasn't every day a friend offered to betray their village or sacrificed their arm for you.

I understood this. I grew up fighting, as well. I desired to become strong so that I could find my family, and although I didn't get the answers to all my questions, I have all the important answers.

I also understood why Sasuke was going out of his way to be so nice to me, now. He hadn't realized how dismayed the act of killing Orochimaru would make me and wanted to make amends. Additionally, he was going to take the time—whether Kakashi liked it or not—to make some happy memories with me. The trip to the onsen had been plenty, though given what I knew about Sasuke's personality, it would not stop there.

It took us less than two days for us to reach Earth Country, flying almost non-stop. We only got off the hawk to eat and relieve ourselves. At night, I sat in front of Sasuke and dozed against his chest.

"I sent a message to Kakashi that Orochimaru is dead, along with his head," Sasuke said, when we landed.

I winced.

When we reached the gates of Iwagakure, I recognized one of the guards as a classmate from my Academy days. He recognized me, too.

"Uchiha-san, Akako-san," he said, "what brings you to Iwagakure?"

"Just visiting," I said.

"Welcome back, Akako-san," my classmate said, smiling at me.

"Thank you, Itou-san. It's good to be back."

"Welcome to Iwagakure, Uchiha-san."

Sasuke grunted.

**-paragraph break-**

We spent the next few days in Iwagakure. People gawked at us wherever we went, but that was nothing new. A few of my old classmates attempted to ingratiate themselves to Sasuke, which met with no success. Females left him alone after he drove several of them to tears. Every time a male talked to me for longer than thirty seconds, I would see Sasuke's hand twitch towards Kusanagi. They left me alone after a few attempts. It was bizarre.

I showed Sasuke the apartment where I had lived with my mother, then the place where I'd stayed with Ame. I showed him the orphanage, the Academy, and all the places I used to go with Yuumaru and Asahi. I showed him the hospital I'd been working at when the Fourth Shinobi War occurred, and lastly, I brought him to the graves of my teammates and instructor.

"They died defending me," I said, as I laid the three bouquets of flowers I'd gotten for them down. I told Sasuke about Shigure and how he'd taught me to fight with tantou, and I told him how I'd activated my Sharingan.

"I activated my Sharingan the night Aniki slaughtered our clan," he said, with no inflection. He knelt and paid his respects to my fallen team for a few moments, which brought tears to my eyes.

From there, we journeyed to the village where I'd been born.

"I was born there, on a bed," I said, pointing to a corner in the empty hut. "Afterwards, Kaa-san brought me to see Tadao-ojisan, and then we went to live in Iwagakure."

At this, he nodded slowly.

"Is there anything else you would like to see? Would you like to meet Tadao-ojisan, Sasuke-san?"

"No," Sasuke said shortly. "Let's go home."

To my surprise, we did not run back to Konoha. Sasuke barely glanced twice at the messenger birds Kakashi sent, returning them without even opening the scrolls they carried.

"If it's urgent, he'll send someone to get us," he said.

There were a few nuke-nin, too minor to be in the bingo book, stupid enough to attack us as we neared Konoha, but Sasuke dealt with them easily. I did the cleaning up afterwards, using doton to scatter and bury the bloodied dirt. I also did the gruesome work of dismembering their bodies, which Sasuke set on fire. He sent the heads to their respective kage.

Surveying the clearing when we were done, he looked at me and said, "You should consider being an oinin."

It took us more than a week to reach Konoha at our sedate pace. Sasuke told me stories about his life before we went to bed each night. We woke up whenever we wanted, which was often, surprisingly quite late. He even put my hitai-ate on for me one morning, smoothing my hair carefully as he worked.

"Never lose this," he said, as he finished tying the knot. "It is your mark of honor as a shinobi."

"Yes, Sasuke-san."

**-paragraph break-**

Sasuke decided that we'd tortured Kakashi long enough, so our last day of travel was spent running almost non-stop. We returned to Konohagakure in the dead of the night. Sasuke and I didn't even make it to our rooms; we simply collapsed at the kotatsu. I woke up with a crick in my neck from sleeping on the floor. Sasuke's hair looked a mess, and he scowled when I giggled at it.

When we arrived at Kakashi's office an hour later, he looked like he didn't know whether to throttle us for ignoring his messages or to congratulate us for killing Orochimaru.

"Just…come back later," he finally said. "I'll send a messenger."

Sasuke smirked before leaving. Several people congratulated us on the street—it had not taken long for the news to travel—as we headed back to the Uchiha complex, but we didn't stop to chat. Instead, we spent the next few hours doing the laundry and cleaning up the house, which had been uninhabited for months. Sasuke left at noon to get lunch, since there were no groceries in the fridge.

"I'm back," he said, returning after an hour.

"Welcome back, Sasuke-san," I said, looking up from my dusting. I almost dropped the rag I was using when I saw the enormous bouquet of flowers he was carrying, in addition to our lunch boxes.

"For you," he said, placing the arrangement on the kotatsu. I felt Sasuke's chakra swell as we made eye contact.

"Th-thank you, Sasuke-san," I stuttered.

I couldn't bring myself to speak as we ate lunch. From the few glances I cast at Sasuke, I could tell he was amused by my response to his gift. No one has ever given me flowers before, and Sasuke is utilitarian to the extreme. Up until now, he'd only bought flowers when he went to visit his family.

Shortly after we finished lunch, a messenger came for us.

"The Hokage requests your presence immediately."

Kakashi slouched slightly when we entered his office. I allowed myself a tiny smile.

"I suppose I should congratulate you. But really Sasuke-kun, did you have to send us his head? Shizune-chan nearly had a heart attack when she unsealed your scroll."

Sasuke's return stare was utterly indifferent to Shizune's plight.

"Report," Kakashi said, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand.

Sasuke spent the next hour detailing how the two of us, along with Suigetsu and Juugo, had found and killed Orochimaru.

"Very clever, Sasuke-kun and Akako-chan."

I wanted to make a comment about Sasuke's treatment of Orochimaru at the very end but held my tongue.

"Well…you're dismissed. Rest up. Don't be surprised if you start receiving missions soon, you're both jounin now, after all."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," I said.

**-paragraph break-**

A few days later, Sasuke came home with a scroll in his hand.

"You have a mission, Sasuke-san?"

He grunted before handing the scroll to me.

I had scarcely opened it when I put it down, shocked.

"Another S-rank mission? So soon?"

He nodded before serving himself some shogayaki. After dinner, I heard him moving around in his room, getting ready for his journey, while I did the dishes. I had mixed feelings about his mission, but I knew it would be pointless to argue with him about it. He'd already accepted it, after all.

I didn't sleep that night. Instead, I sat outside Sasuke's door, listening to him breathe and watching his chakra pulse. I stood up and started making breakfast around five—he had to report at six.

"I have something to give you when I get back," he said, as he ate.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, perturbed.

He blinked slowly at me, his equivalent of a shrug. Instead of responding, Sasuke swallowed and reached out to touch my face. I froze, stunned.

"You didn't sleep," he admonished. His thumb traced the shadow under my left eye briefly before he dropped his hand.

"Be safe," I managed, as he got up.

"I will."

He gave me one last look before disappearing.

**-paragraph break-**

The first night after Sasuke left, I once again didn't sleep. The second night, I could not sleep, no matter how hard I tried. I debated knocking myself out with cold medicine.

"You look horrible, Akako-chan," Sakura said.

"I know," I said, rubbing wearily at my eyes.

She had come to the hospital to pick me up for lunch on her, though for once, my appetite was failing me.

"How are you going to manage during your mission tomorrow?" she asked, frowning.

I shrugged.

"Shikamaru-taichou will take care of me."

After struggling through the rest of my meal, I thanked Sakura and headed to Shikamaru's house at the edge of the Nara compound.

"Temari-san," I said, greeting his wife.

"Akako-chan," she said. "I'll warn you now, he's still in bed."

"I'll wake him up," I replied.

She snorted before leaving me to my devices.

"Taichou, wake up!" I said through his door.

"Go away," I heard him grumble.

"If you don't open up right now, I'll set your door on fire."

"You can't be serious," he responded. I felt Shikamaru's chakra slowly becoming agitated as I waited, and I knew he knew I was being serious.

"Last chance," I said, as I prepared the hand seals for the Goukakyuu no Jutsu.

"Alright alright, I'm up!" he said, getting out of bed. "Geez, you're worse than Temari. At least I can put the door back on its hinges when she blows it down."

I giggled before retreating to the sitting room to wait. A servant came by with a tea tray. I let the pot steep, wanting the tea to be as strong as possible. I was in the middle of a yawn when Kisuke arrived, followed by Naruto.

"Good morning Akako-chan!"

"Good morning Naruto-san, Kisuke-san," I said.

"You look horrible!" Naruto said, plopping down next to me.

"That's what Sakura-san said earlier," I replied, as I began to pour tea for everyone.

"It's way too early for this," Shikamaru grumbled, as he came in.

"Good morning, taichou," Kisuke said politely.

"So what's the deal?" Naruto asked. He was practically bouncing in his seat.

"Please shut up," Shikamaru replied, taking a long sip of his tea. We all waited, more or less politely, for him to gather himself. Producing our mission scroll, he unrolled it and scanned it for a moment before closing it again.

"Right," Shikamaru began, "this is a simple enough reconnaissance mission. We'll be going to Earth Country to gather intelligence from our contacts and to have dinner with the Tsuchikage."

"What, that's all?" Naruto exclaimed.

"Idiot," Shikamaru snapped, "it's a good chance for you to learn some diplomacy skills."

"My diplomacy skills are fine!"

"We're leaving tomorrow," Shikamaru said, ignoring Naruto's outburst and instead tossing his scroll to the blond. "I know you didn't read it. I have mine memorized, anyways."

"Jerk!" Naruto responded, sticking his tongue out.

**-paragraph break-**

I forced myself to sleep that night via cold medicine and woke up feeling no better than when I'd fallen asleep.

"Good morning, Kisuke-san," I said, upon arrival at the gates.

"Good morning, Akako-san," he said. "It is an honor to work with you."

"Thank you," I replied, smiling a little. "It is an honor to work with you, as well."

"Good morning guys!"

"Good morning, Naruto-san."

The three of us chatted for a few minutes while waiting for Shikamaru.

"I bet he's still sleeping! Hey, Akako-chan, you want to play a prank on him when he gets here?"

I refused, but I couldn't help smiling at Naruto's antics. He's as bad as Hanemaru.

"Why hasn't Sasuke gotten back from his mission yet?"

"It's an assassination mission," I said shortly. "He has multiple targets."

"But it's peacetime!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Naruto-san," Kisuke interjected calmly, "there will always be unrest, even during peacetime."

Naruto was still pouting when Shikamaru showed up. He ignored Naruto's grousing and starting assigning us positions.

It took us less than two days to reach Earth Country. As we made our way to Iwagakure, the four of stopped by strategic villages to find our contacts, spreading goodwill as we went.

"Must feel like coming home to you," Kisuke remarked, as we approached Iwagakure a few days later.

"It does," I replied.

We were only a few hours away from the gates when suddenly, I signaled for Shikamaru to stop.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm sensing a strange chakra signature," I said, pointing. "It's masked, but not very well."

"You think it could be an enemy," Shikamaru stated.

I hesitated, concentrating harder on the way the green-ish chakra was fluctuating. With a snap, I activated my Sharingan in order to better track the other ninja's movements.

"I'm not sure."

We resumed travelling, but after less than an hour, I stopped us again.

"He's following us. He's masked his chakra better, but it's becoming agitated."

Shikamaru muttered something that sounded a lot like a curse before he crouched down and started to strategize. A few moments later, he got up and let me take point. The four of us, along with a few of Naruto's kage bunshin, fanned out.

After a few minutes of running together, I split off from the group. While Shikamaru, Naruto, and Kisuke set about herding our follower, I went to make a trap for him, breaking up the earth by a ledge in preparation.

Before long, I heard and felt them coming. I caught a quick glimpse of the unknown ninja and saw that he was a nukenin from Iwagakure, though I didn't recognize his face. He was too busy trying to fight off the others to notice my carefully concealed presence.

"Doton: Dorou Doumu!"

At Shikamaru's signal, I sprung my trap, and my three teammates leapt away just as the loose earth and rocks I'd summoned slammed shut over the enemy ninja.

"Great job, Akako-chan!" Naruto said.

"Don't dispel your kage bunshin yet, Naruto," Shikamaru snapped, as the three of them spread out and surrounded the dome.

"Give me a few moments," I said, as I began to leach my opponent's chakra, replenishing the sizeable amount I'd lost in utilizing my technique. The walls of the dome bulged as the nukenin inside struggled to break free, but to no avail.

"Ready?" Shikamaru asked, nodding at Kisuke.

"Ready."

Kisuke was good with seals, so he was the first to jump into the dome after I deactivated my jutsu. Together with Naruto, they subdued the enemy ninja.

"Yatta!" Naruto exclaimed, as one of his kage bunshin hoisted the man onto his back.

"Now we have a nice present for the Tsuchikage," Shikamaru commented wryly. "Good job, Uchiha."

**-paragraph break-**

Kurotsuchi was pleased we'd managed to capture the nukenin.

"He's been sneaking around Iwagakure for weeks," she said. "He ran rather than admit he killed one of his comrades in cold blood."

Our dinner was rescheduled for the next night, to give the four of us time to rest. After taking a long hot shower, I told Shikamaru that I was going to wander. As I left for my teammates' graves, a hawk appeared in the sky. Looking up as it circled lower and lower, I realized it as one of Sasuke's.

"Hello, taka-san," I said, as it landed on my arm. The hawk nibbled on a bit of my hair as I took the scroll from its leg. It stayed where it was as I read it, so I assumed Sasuke wanted a response to his note.

It simply said: Are you well?

I borrowed a pen from someone and scrawled back: As well as can be expected.

"Fly well, taka-san," I said, as I retied the note to its leg.

I went to the marketplace to buy flowers for Asahi, Yuumaru, and Shigure. There, I was recognized and joined by a classmate from the Academy.

"It's been a while, Akako-san," Touta commented. "I was afraid you wouldn't recognize me!"

"You're a hard one to forget, Touta-san," I replied. He'd been a horrible tease, even as a child.

He grinned, taking no offense.

"How have you been, Akako-san? I heard you're engaged to Uchiha Sasuke."

"Sasuke-san and I are not engaged."

"But you will be, right?"

I shrugged, quickly becoming uncomfortable with the way the conversation was heading.

"Do you see marriage in your future, Touta-san?"

At this, he blushed.

"Actually, there is a girl I've been courting."

"Amazing," I commented.

"Don't you start with me, kunoichi. She knows just how to keep me in line."

"You love her?" I asked carefully, as we reached the graves.

"I do," he said.

"Then good," I said, as we both knelt.

**-end of chapter-**

A/N: And that's a wrap! One more chapter to go before the epilogue, guys.


	12. Chapter 12: Ending

A/N: Hi guys! I rewrote the end of this chapter about three or four times, I was so dissatisfied. So what was Sasuke going to give Akako, anyways? Find out, you shall.

Rebirth

Part Three: Chasing You

Chapter 11: Ending

I resolved myself to a several-month-long wait when I returned to Konoha. I knew that Sasuke would be just fine on his mission with Tenten, Sai, and Sango, but until then, I was stuck sleeping in his bed. It still smelled like him, so for the first week or so after I got back, I was able to get a few hours of rest a night. I missed the feel of his chakra nearby.

Sasuke sent me a note every week. They were all short, but the sight of his meticulous handwriting was enough to make me smile.

I went on another B-rank mission a few weeks after my mission to Iwagakure, but other than that, things were slow. I debated going to Kirigakure to learn more about the oinin or possibly taking on a three-man team, but I wanted to wait for Sasuke to return first so I could consider his opinion.

Instead, I increased my hours at the hospital and began volunteering at the Academy as a tutor and substitute teacher. The work kept me busy, particularly where the Academy students were concerned, but not content.

The most exciting thing that happened in the next few weeks was the announcement of Naruto and Hinata's engagement. The two of them told me themselves, Naruto bursting into the hospital with Hinata not far behind.

"Sakura-chan, Akako-chan, look!" he shouted. The two of us looked up from our paperwork, surprised and a little annoyed.

"We're engaged," Hinata said, holding out her hand.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" Sakura and I dropped what we were holding and rushed over to examine Hinata's ring.

"It took you long enough, Naruto," Sakura scolded, as we fussed over Hinata's hand.

"Man, I wish Sasuke were here!" Naruto said, grinning so widely I was surprised his face hadn't split. "He's going to be my best man, you know."

"He'll be back," I reassured him.

After another month of waiting, I was going stir-crazy. Sasuke's mission was supposed to take six months, and I could barely make it four. I was getting next to no sleep, and I had constant headaches. I'd taken to meditating as often as possible to try and relax, but I couldn't get more than an hour or two of respite at a time. It wasn't until I collapsed while training one day that I realized how stressed my body was.

"Akako-chan, this can't happen again!" Sakura said, her forehead furrowed with worry. "We had to put you in a medically-induced coma."

"I'm sorry, Sakura-san," I replied, taking the glass of water she offered me. "I've tried everything short of knocking myself out, but nothing works."

It unnerved me, how much I needed Sasuke to sleep after spending several months camped out with him, hunting Orochimaru. My traditional methods of training and meditating weren't working, and though I've long accepted that I will probably never sleep peacefully through a night, I can't run on no sleep, either. In this, my respect for the current Kazekage rose tenfold.

"What'll I do until then, Sakura-san?"

She bit her lip before finally saying, "I'll prescribe you some sleeping pills."

"They don't work on me."

She bit her lip harder.

"Then you'll have to sleep at the hospital from now on."

**-paragraph break-**

Weeks later, I was deep in my artificial version of sleep when Sasuke returned from his mission. I didn't start waking up until he and Sakura burst into my room at the same time.

"Sasuke-kun! You can't just—"

"Shut up!" His chakra was blazing.

At this, my eyes flew open. I saw Sasuke hovering over me, looking distinctly disheveled. Sakura stood behind him, looking stung.

"You…need to apologize to Sakura-san," I said, struggling to lucidity.

"I'm sorry," he growled, after a short pause. "Now leave."

Without another word, Sakura fled.

"When did you get back?" I asked, as he pulled me into a sitting position. "Did you report—"

"Kakashi can wait," he snapped, scooping me up.

I noticed that Sasuke's clothes were dirty and bloodstained, and he smelled like he hadn't bathed in ages. Still, I was half-asleep in his arms by the time we reached the Uchiha compound.

"Go take a shower, Sasuke," I mumbled, as he tucked me into his bed.

"Troublesome woman," he replied, before leaving to do just that.

I listened to the sounds of Sasuke showering, struggling to stay awake even as his chakra flickered familiarly in my vision. I felt myself slip under for a few minutes as he towel-dried his hair, but I was startled back into awareness when I felt his hand on my head. I opened my eyes to see Sasuke looking at me intently.

"I missed you," I whispered.

His eyes softened, and he stroked my hair once before going around to the other side of the bed. With a sigh, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, sunlight was streaming through the window.

I was wrapped up in a cocoon of Sasuke's blankets, which I must have stolen in the middle of the night. He was lying next to me, on his back. He was still asleep.

My face flushed when I saw that Sasuke was shirtless. Frowning fiercely, I remembered that he'd gone to bed with a shirt on. Just how long had I been asleep? Surely it hadn't been for more than a few hours.

Resolutely keeping my eyes on his face, I studied his sleeping expression. His face wasn't completely relaxed, but the lines around his mouth had loosened. His eyelashes made small shadows under his eyes, which fluttered as he breathed. I was tempted to touch his hair, which was splayed across his pillow, but I was unwilling to extricate my arm from the mass of blankets surrounding me.

Eventually, I felt his chakra start to stir. Knowing I could not fool him by feigning sleep, I instead made sure I was looking elsewhere as he opened his eyes.

"Good morning, Sasuke-san," I said.

"Good morning," he rumbled, getting up. Before I could move, he'd come around to my side of the bed and picked me up.

"I can walk, Sasuke-san," I said.

"You need to rest."

"I did rest," I protested, as he carried me towards the kitchen. "How long was I asleep?"

"A day."

"A day?" I exclaimed.

**-paragraph break-**

Sasuke cooked breakfast. By the time he brought the food to the table, I'd freed both my arms from his blankets.

"I'm sorry I took all your blankets," I said, looking at him for his reaction.

He made a small noise.

"You came back early," I said, as we began to eat.

"Aa."

"So they're all gone?"

He nodded. Sasuke's mission had been to kill the rest of Orochimaru's followers, barring Kabuto.

"You should rest," he said, after a few moments of silence.

"I don't want to stay in bed all day," I protested.

"Sakura said no training and no work for a week."

"A week?" I exclaimed. What was I going to do with myself?

Sasuke looked at me for a bit before releasing what looked like a tiny sigh.

"Get dressed."

I met Sasuke at the door, wearing my usual training outfit. For my benefit, we walked to the training grounds. I refused to let him carry me, though that would have been faster.

It seemed to take an eternity to get to the training grounds. A few people inquired after my health. Others congratulated Sasuke for a job well done. Mostly, they stared at our joined hands.

When we reached an empty training field, he let go of my hand. Immediately, my arm stopped tingling.

"Sit," he said, pointing to a stump.

I sat.

Looking directly at me, Sasuke activated his Sharingan. Automatically, I activated mine, as well. I realized he was going to teach me as he pulled Kusanagi from its sheath, his body still facing me. Sasuke spent the better part of an hour demonstrating forms, keeping up a constant stream of commentary. In addition to describing the forms, he also offered suggestions on how to adapt them to my fighting style. It was the most I'd ever heard him speak at once.

"Get up," he said.

Standing, I drew my tantou and joined Sasuke. He watched as I slowly went through the forms he'd just demonstrated, occasionally correcting me with a light touch or a comment. It took me an hour to go through half of them, as I had to improvise on the go with my double blades. Before long, sweat was pouring down my face and back.

"Enough," he said, when my arms started to wobble. "Let's go see Sakura."

I perked up, wondering if this was his way of apologizing to her for being rude a few days ago. He ended up taking the both of us to lunch, proving me right. I could tell Sakura was pleased by the way she was blushing.

After lunch, I slowly trained for another hour before Sasuke made me sit down again. I settled down with good grace and watched him for another hour with my Sharingan activated. With Kusanagi in hand, Sasuke was an artist.

That night, I crawled into my bed and almost immediately fell asleep. When I woke up, I was back in Sasuke's room. Bewildered, I sat up and pinched both cheeks. Was I dreaming?

I heard Sasuke chuckle from the bathroom, and I glared at the closed door.

"What was that for, Sasuke-san?"

He came out a few moments later in a great cloud of steam. Poking me in the forehead, he said, "I missed you, too."

-**paragraph break-**

I spent the next few days getting the best sleep in my entire memory. I gave up sleeping in my own room after I mysteriously ended up in Sasuke's bed a second time. He draws a great deal of amusement from waking me up in unconventional ways, such as by blowing in my ear. I'd never seen this playful side of Sasuke before, and it slightly unnerved me.

"You're good to go, Akako-chan," Sakura said, withdrawing her hands from my temples.

"Finally," I said, getting up.

"Don't overexert yourself," she warned.

"Aa."

"Whatever you've done to Sasuke-kun, keep doing it," she said, smiling. "I want more free lunches."

"Okay, Sakura-san," I replied.

I had an afternoon to kill. Finding my old music player, I listened to a disc while sharpening my tantou and organizing my weapons. Even though it's peacetime, one can never be too careful. I made dinner only for myself—Sasuke had told me earlier that he would be out all day. He came home after nightfall with another enormous flower arrangement.

I examined it as he went to his room to change. Ino must have had a fit putting it together: hibiscus, lilac, marigold, and delphinium. Seeing and smelling the generous amount of lilac made me blush happily.

"I like it," I said, when Sasuke reappeared.

He nodded, pleased.

"Bring some of the flowers with you," he said, "we're going to visit my family."

I knelt respectfully behind Sasuke as he cleaned the graves and put the flowers I'd brought into the vase in front of his mother's name. He bowed his head for a moment before standing. I stood up as well and watched as Sasuke looked at the sky.

It was a beautiful night. The moon was full and bright. I wanted to scoop up a handful of stars to put into my pocket. A light wind was blowing, ruffling the surface of the lake where Sasuke and I had learned the Goukakyuu no Jutsu.

Turning, Sasuke looked at me for a long time. I kept silent, feeling strangely calm.

"Akako."

I blinked at him.

"You have become strong."

He reached out to take my right hand, and I let him. He spent a few moments contemplating my fingers before he spoke again.

"You will bring honor to our clan," he said, as he fished something out of his pocket.

I stopped breathing.

Right in front of his parents' graves, Sasuke knelt before me. A strange sensation flooded me, down to my toes.

"Akako," he said. His right eye was like ink. His left eye glowed.

"Yes?" I squeaked.

"Marry me. Be my wife."

I burst into tears.

Getting up, Sasuke gathered me carefully into my arms. I felt his lips moving in my hair as he said, "Silly woman."

"You said you wanted to give me something when you came back," I blubbered, wiping futilely at my face. With a few more gasps, I pulled back to give him an answer. My voice stuttered and died in my throat when I saw the expression on his face.

Sasuke was smiling.

Actually, he was grinning from ear to ear. It highlighted his boyish features and made him look his age, for once. The instant I saw it, I knew that I wanted to get Sasuke to smile like that again. I stared at him, dumbstruck.

"Are you going to answer me?" he asked, his cheeks dimpling.

It took me another moment to find my voice.

"Yes," I said. "I'll m-marry you."

Sasuke smiled again before pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"You are my family," he murmured, as he slipped the ring onto my finger.

"It's all I've ever wanted," I whispered.

**-end of chapter-**

A/N: And that's a wrap, folks! Don't worry, there's still the epilogue.

For those of you who were wondering what the flowers in Akako's arrangement meant, here they are-

Hibiscus: delicate beauty

Lilac: first love

Marigold: October (Akako's birth month)

Delphinium: July (Sasuke's birth month)


	13. Epilogue: First Breath

A/N: Hey guys, it's been real. This was the longest story I've ever written, 70 pages on Word! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you want to see what Akako looks like, there's a link to the pic on my profile page. This epilogue is short but sweet =]

Rebirth

Epilogue

First Breath

After what felt like ages, Itachi emerged from the delivery room.

"It's a girl," he said, his eyes Sharingan-bright. "The daughter she's always wanted."

"What's her name?" I breathed.

"Let Shiko tell you herself," my son replied.

Sasuke entered the room first, where Shiko was lying with a small bundle in her arms.

"Gifu-san, Okaa-san. This is Uchiha Kiyoko."

"What a wonderful name, Shiko-chan!"

"Congratulations," Sasuke said, putting his hand on Itachi's shoulder.

"Thank you, Tou-san."

"We should send for the other children," Shiko said, biting her lip. She looked beseechingly at Itachi as she said, "Someone needs to call Sarada-neesan, Ishiko-niisan, and Eiji-kun, as well."

"I will get the grandchildren," I volunteered. "Hinata-san will want to know the good news, as well."

Sasuke stayed with Itachi and Shiko as I made my way to Naruto's home. I gave Hinata a quick call as I drove from the hospital.

"Obaa-chan!" Obito, Hiroto, and Kaito shouted, abandoning their target practice the instant they saw me. Obito and Hiroto opened the gate while Kaito ran to get Hinata.

"What happened, Akako-chan?" Hinata asked, as she appeared at the door. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Obito-kun, Hiroto-kun, Kaito-kun," I said to my gathered grandsons, "you have a sister!"

"What?"

"Ew!"

"I can't believe Kaa-chan betrayed us like this!"

"Congratulations, Shiko-chan must be very happy," Hinata said, giggling.

"Yes," I said, as I gestured for my grandsons to follow me. "I'm taking them to the hospital now. Thank you for watching them for us, Hinata-san."

"Of course, Akako-chan."

"Thank you, Hinata-oba!"

"Thanks, Oba-chan!"

"Tell Oji-chan we said hi!"

Sasuke and I left the hospital shortly after I dropped off the boys in order to give the newly expanded family some space.

We arrived back at the house in high spirits. No sooner had the door closed did Sasuke pick me up and spin me around. I laughed with delight as he planted a kiss on my lips. He was beaming, bursting with pride.

He is finally at peace; the vengeance has died from his heart. He is content to live out the rest of his days in Konoha, teaching the next generations of Uchiha what it means to be a part of this prestigious family.

Our family.

**-end of story-**

A/N: Last chance to give me your feedback! Was Akako too Mary-Sue-ish? Did I get Sasuke's characterization right? Are there any plot points I need to clarify? Would you like me to post deleted scenes? I've no plans to write another story anytime soon, but feel free to shoot me a PM.

Thank you all for reading~


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